More Than An Attitude Adjustment
by 321Z3R0
Summary: When becoming a hollow, one's mind is subject to hunger, loneliness, and need. Their instincts prompt them to do things they might never do. What happens when a soul that is, for all intents and purposes, still human is put through the evolution of a hollow and reaches the top? How do they change? What will they do afterwards? Harem! Grey Ichigo. Hollow Ichigo. OP(ish) Ichigo.
1. THAT Escalated Quickly

A/N: Okay, so, if you are here from any of my other stories, I'm not abandoning them. I've just been on a bit of a bleach kick as of late, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to make one. This'll likely be a side story, but I just can't resist. Plot bunnies plague me day in and day out; I gotta release at least a few of them. Sorry. I promise I won't do more than 3 stories at a time, though.

Anyway, this story will likely be the amalgamation of a number of theories I've had about certain things in bleach for a while, combined with the views on them I've gotten from reading other stories and some inspiration I've gotten from them. Don't worry, I won't be outright copying anyone(the set up chapters will probably be rather similar to White, but that's about it for intended similarities), but a familiar concept might pop up here or there. It'll start out cannon then change drastically after the first few hundred words, if even that.

* * *

 _'I am but a part of you' -_ Thoughts/Zanpakuto communitcation

 **"You look tasty."** \- Hollow interaction(be it thought or speech)

(hint: I'll be combining the two above.)

Bakudo #90: Kurohitsugi \- Techniques

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu, a blonde haired little girl, stumbled up the stairs and towards here brothers room. She had a few marks on her, indicating that at least some damage was done, and she was stumbling toward the door. "O-onii-chan..." Unable to keep going, she fell in front of the open door, her voice alerting her older brother of her presence. Dragging herself onto her hands, she looked through the door. "Onii-chan, Karin-chan was..." Above her, Kuchiki Rukia, a shinigami, was looking down at her in surprise, though the girl couldn't see her.

Kurosaki Ichigo, the same older brother Yuzu was pleading with, shared Rukia's surprise, though it was quickly followed by anger and an overwhelming need for retribution. He was unable to move, unfortunately, as his hands were bound behind his back by a simple Bakudo #1: Sai(Way of Binding #1: Restrain) from Rukia only moments prior.

Yuzu, reaching a hand towards her brother desperately, continued on, sounding more hurt than she seemed. "Please save... Karin-chan..." She promptly fell on the floor, face first, the arm she had been using to hold herself up giving out in much the same way her legs had. Rukia, once the girl was down, knelt beside her to check on her state.

She quickly interrupted by a cry from outside the home she was in. Rushing to its source, she left Yuzu and Ichigo in their respective states. "Oi!" was Ichigo's indignant cry as he watched the black haired soul reaper rush off, leaving him immobilized and his sister in whatever state she was in. Growling, he proceeded to get himself onto his feet without the use of his hands, which wasn't an easy process. "Damn... it...!"

Meanwhile, Rukia was flying down the stairs, trying to get to the source, only to find a whole in the side of the home, a huge, humanoid, black bodied and white masked creature outside holding a black haired young girl off the the ground. A hollow held Kurosaki Karin in the air, lifting her higher with an over-sized fist. "Lemme go!" was the demand made by the girl, likely intending to sound threatening, but it came out as a feeble request, on the verge of begging. The hollow only held her tighter, making the tight grip painful. "S-stop... it..."

Rukia drew her sword, preparing to strike the beast down. As she prepared to charge in, Ichigo fell down the stairs behind her, his arms still bound. His arrival surprised him, as a human shouldn't have been able to move while under the effects of a Bakudo. She voiced this as he began to actively get up, cursing his helplessness. "He's... MOVING after I put that spell on him..."

Ichigo once more got to his feet, forcing himself upright. Rukia regained her composure as he stumbled a bit before steadying himself. "Move, you're in the way."

He surprised her once more by moving with relative ease towards her. "Shut up!" He then noticed the hollow outside the hole in his house and his sister, currently in pain and in its grasp. Its mask gave Ichigo the impression the it was grinning, but he couldn't tell and didn't care. "KARIN!" He began to struggle extremely hard against the Bakudo, straining himself.

Rukia stood, watching him for a moment before commenting. "Stop that! No human strength can hope to overcome it. If you try to force it, you'll..." She trailed off as he saw the spell, which was invisible normally, manifest itself for a moment before he glowed a light blue and shattered it after a while of struggling.

He caught his breath for a moment before rushing the hollow, grabbing a foldable chair as his impromptu weapon and giving a battle cry. Rukia was shaken out of her shock by the sound. "Wait!" He wasn't about to listen, with his sister in immediate danger and jumped at the monster.

Karin, recognizing the danger her brother was putting himself in shouted at him to leave, despite the pain the simple act caused. "Ichi-nii! Run!" Ichigo was having none of that, though. Time seemed to slow down for him as he sailed towards the monster at what felt like a snails pace to him.

Out of the corner of his right eye, he could see the hollow's other monstrous fist flying at him at what he registered was normal speed, impacting with him a moment later and breaking a few ribs with a crunch. He his the ground, slamming into it multiple times before he came to a stop, thoroughly beaten from the single blow but unwilling to give up.

Rukia, despite her respect for his bravery, could only shake her head. _'Such a fool.'_ She felt completely validated in her thoughts when he got up again, albeit wobbly.

Charging again, he managed to dodge another fist that would've turned him into a blood stain on the pavement, picking up his discarded "weapon" as he ran through the extreme pain he was feeling. Jumping onto its arm, Ichigo brought the chair down on its head, stunning it momentarily. The moment didn't last long enough, sadly, as he was once again swatted away.

The hollow bent over him, its even grinning mask of bone seeming to grin even further as it opened its mouth to consume him. Rukia, who'd been watching awestruck, jumped in, blocking the attempt with her sword. Unfortunately, the hollow had been closing its powerful jaws, making the blade damage further him but grievously damaging Rukia's stomach, which was unguarded, and shoulder, which she was unable to protect.

As it reeled back, it dropped the now barely conscious Karin from its grip, having tightened said grip multiple times in the previous altercation. She fell to the floor, watching what would happen through bleary eyes, unable to move or even speak as she recovered while still being smashed by the hollow's reiatsu.

Rukia was batted to the side, her current state making her an easy target for the hollow, but she wasn't the target. At least not this time.

Ichigo had begun to glow a light blue, forcing himself to get up again, not even registering the world around him as one phrase kept echoing around in his head. _'Must... protect...'_ He didn't see when Rukia protected him, nor when she was swatted like a fly. He hadn't even registered that the hollow had attempted to eat him. All he knew was that he was being tested. Again. He felt as though his failure to protect his mother years ago had a chance to be wiped away if he managed to protect his sisters, there and then.

Getting up, which was a feat on its own in his condition, he breathed out a ragged breath, his body taking on a light blue glow. The hollow focused on him, completely enthralled by the power held within a single, living soul. Without another moment of hesitation, he lunged forward, consuming the teen.

After he gorged himself, he turned to the horrified pair watching him, his hunger growing instead of diminishing. Suddenly, he stood stock still, even as he attempted to move towards his prey. Whenever he tried to move a single muscle in an action that would bring him closer, he would freeze up, unable to go through with it. The same went for the shinigami, even though he managed to make a little headway.

Growling in annoyance, he was about to just destroy the house and leave, but a sudden boost in his power triggered a response. He tapped the air in front of him, a tear within the air itself appearing. It grew large enough to accommodate him, which he took advantage of by all but flinging himself inside of it. Soon after the hollow's sudden departure, it closed up, leaving an insensate Karin and injured Rukia to pick up the pieces of the family that was just shattered.

* * *

Hueco Mundo

* * *

Wasting no time the moment it arrived, the hollow began to attack other hollows who were already in the bloodbath, making sure to go after those that were injured already. It retained enough sense to not waste its strength needlessly... or had it just gained this sense? The hollow didn't know or care as it indulged itself, taking pleasure in the souls it was devouring while none others stood on it's level.

After but a few hours of this, the hollow began to glow red, the bodies of the mindless hollows around him disintegrating into red particles, which he soon joined. They coalesced into a very tall, extremely powerful creature. A Gillian class menos, or menos grande as they were commonly known.

This one, however, was different. Normally, a Gillian was just a simple black, extremely tall, humanoid figure with white hands, feet, and pointy-nosed mask, with spikes around its neck and a hole in said neck. THIS Gillian was white, which alone would be grounds to be interested, but the differences didn't stop there. Its mask was simple: white and skull-like with two vertical, red stripes going over the eyes, but it had no discernible nose, a defining trait of most Gillian.

To keep the differences coming, it had black shoes/feet and black hands. It lacked the prominent spikes around the neck that one would see around a normal Gillian. Probably the biggest difference was the lack of immediate screaming, almost as though it was deep in thought about something. Well, it was.

It was thinking about what the hell was happening. Before the... self-awareness that it currently had, it could recall little. Bits and pieces that didn't seem to fit together. Suddenly, it was hit by a deep-set hunger and screamed out in an instinctual challenge to all those around. As other Gillians gathered to the call, the bloodbath resumed.

In the fighting, the special Gillian was a monster. The ceros fired at him, as they seemed to focus on him, lost effectiveness as time went on. Originally, it was countered by its own, but now, after consuming at least part of easily a hundred of the never ending tide of Gillians, even including a few special ones, there was no need. After a few more hours of this, the Gillians outright STOPPED putting up resistance. That, or they stopped getting the chance. It was mayhem, the never ending hunger that drove the hollow only seeming to increase the more he ate, and he'd eaten far too many in the span of the last few hours.

After the hollow saw a small figure on the ground, it stopped its rampage, curiosity shining in its gold on black eyes, much to the surprise of whoever was watching. **"Oh? You can think, huh? Well, that's a bit of a rarity down here, and you were lowering the numbers of even that in your little hissy-fit."** The Gillian just cocked its head, showing at least some level of understanding.

It opened its mouth to speak, but all that came out was another shriek, this one far more intimidating that the one before and of the other Gillians that still surrounded them. The figure chuckled. **"Don't bother trying, as I doubt you can. Now, I WOULD just eat one as powerful as you to evolve from an Adjuchas to Vasto Lorde, but I need your help for now. Follow."** The command rang out, and every single other Gillian came towards him as he turned and walked.

The white Gillian did nothing of the sort, its cocked head remaining as such, and what looked to be suspicion in its eyes. The Adjuchas turned, surprised at its resistance. **"Don't worry. I am the Guardian of the Menos Forest. I am more honorable than most other hollow, and I give you my word that this is in your best interest. I'm trying to protect you from Shinigami."**

At those words, the white Gillian had a flash of memory. A short, black haired girl who called herself just that. It couldn't help but growl out, **"Shinigami..."** The mere fact that he was capable of speech was enough to shock the Guardian, but it went further when the Gillian asked him a question. **"You... protect?"**

The Adjuchas was silent for a long moment before chuckling. **"You can think for yourself, act on your own, and now speak? You are an interesting one. But yes, I am the protector of this forest from the Shinigami that come here, seeking to destroy as many of us as possible, even those who have done nothing but exist. Now, come. If you are this developed, you must be powerful, for a Gillian."** The Gillian cocked his head at the term, unaware of hollow evolution, for the most part. It followed none the less.

Along the way, the Guardian jumped onto the white Gillian's shoulder, directing it in a single direction. The Adjuchas took the time to look over the Gillian, thinking. **"Hmm. Do you, by any chance, have a name, Gillian?"** He got the Gillian equivalent of the shake of the head. **"Well, until you evolve and get your own, I'll call you Kuro."**

The Gillian cocked its head once more, thinking on it. **"Kuro...?"** It didn't understand why, but that name made him feel odd, as if it was a joke that everyone was sharing about him, but he didn't get it. It also felt... incomplete to him, but the odd feeling was ignored.

The Guardian more or less confirmed this with a chuckle, which would've sounded the slightest bit terrifying if Kuro wasn't already able to shriek like a demonized banshee. **"Yes. There was once this hollow named Shiro, and he was black, but you're actually white, so I figured I'd do the same. As aware and thinking as you are, you're still a Gillian, so I doubt you can do any better. Now, we're here."**

The hollow jumped off, walking up to a group of Gillians that were facing away from him. At the front of the group, Gillians were falling left and right, but the ones behind them were ready to take their place. Two to three rows of Gillian behind that were all charging and firing ceros, the destructive beams of energy apparently not making any headway against whatever enemy they were facing.

The Guardian of the forest called for them to stop, walking up to the front as they split for him to pass. When he reached the front, he could only scowl... well, scowl as much as his mask allowed him. **"I am the Guardian of this forest. Tell me, for what do you come here, Shinigami!?"**

A Shinigami with a white haori over the normal uniform and blue-white hair, Hitsugaya Toshiro, was the one to answer him. "We do not answer to you, hollow." His cold voice cut through the relative silence with ease, but the mass of Shinigami behind them didn't mind.

A man with a crazed grin, spiky hair, an eye patch, and his own white haori, Kenpachi Zaraki, jumped at the Guardian. A tail-like appendage came out of the ground in front of him, blocking the strike. The man's grin seemed to grow, if possible, when he found that he could be blocked by the tail, even if it did suffer a minor cut from the action. "Oh? You can handle a bit of actual power, then." He then proceeded to slice the top off the tail like appendage.

Shiro, seeing his the only person to ever talk to him, growled. **"Protect... Guardian..."** A cero of massive proportions charged in front of its now open mask, causing the ground to shake from the power compressed into it. Even the Guardian, who was already an Adjuchas, stared in shock before jumping back, landing on Kuro's shoulder.

The cero went flying, tearing through those unfortunate enough to get caught in it and turning any nearby sand into glass in an instant. The beam continued, and Kuro swept it across the force that opposed them, decimating numbers. Only when it reached Toshiro was it stopped. "BANKAI! DAIGUREN HYORINMARU(Grand Crimson Lotus Ice Ring)!" Wings made of ice formed on his back just in time for him to wrap them around him, deflecting the blast into the other Gillians.

Once the blast stopped, Toshiro dropped to a knee, the drain of keeping the wings up through a blast like that taking a toll on the diminutive captain. Other Shinigami, seemingly from his squad, surged over to him, checking on their leader only to be waved off.

Kuro, on the other hand, was having flashes of the one Shinigami girl, anger boiling up inside him at seeing them so relieved. Another cero, this one even larger, roared to life between Kuro's jaws. The Guardian had to stop him, though not because he was concerned. **"Wait, Kuro."** The cero did not dissipate, but Kuro held it there, only barely stopping himself from obliterating everything in front of him.

The Guardian turned to the Shinigami. **"Leave this place, and take a message with you. We will not take any more of your senseless hunting of our kind lying down. The next time you see Kuro here, he will kill you, so stay away from this place. Forever."**

Half of them seemed to take his words to heart while the other half got... excited. A bald on with the normal Shinigami shihakusho and some markings around his eyes jumped up to his captain. His name was Madarame Ikkaku. "Taicho! Can I have this one!?" His excitement was shared by the entire company, to the point where the seemingly battle crazed captain let him do it.

"Che. Why the fuck not. Try not to die, Ikkaku!"

"Thank you, Zaraki-taicho!"

Focusing on the Gillian, he smiled, drawing his Zanpakuto and touching the pommel to the opening in his sheath. Bringing his hand down the blade and holding it like a spear, he began to glow red while a funnel of opaque wind covered the connected sheath and blade. "NOBIRO! HOZUKIMARU!(Extend! Demon Light!)" Once the funnel cleared, he was holding a naginata(google it) with a tuft of red fur at the end.

Once the dust cleared, he wasted no time in jumping at Kuro, reaching his mask and seeking to shatter it. "The name's Madarame Ikkaku! You should know the name of your ki-!" With surprising speed, Kuro's hand came up, cutting him off and sending him even higher in the air, before he charged a quick cero, blasting the airborne and stunned Ikkaku.

It was over rather quickly, the unconscious, burnt, but grinning Ikkaku falling to the ground in a heap, Toshiro's squad members going to his aid as Ikkaku's own squad left him. After all, in the 11th squad, defeat normally meant death.

Kuro let out a triumphant shriek, drawing their attention back to the Gillian. Zaraki grinned, jumping at him this time. "HAHAHA!" was his battle-crazed battle cry. He cut Kuro across the chest, leaving a gouge running diagonally from one side to the other. Zaraki's grin widened when he saw the wound bubble and heal, taking mere seconds to heal fully.

He was so immersed in the battle that he didn't notice that the Adjuchas had jumped off the shoulder due to his strike and sent some if his tails into the ground. They came up below him, stabbing him through in multiple places, sending blood spraying in multiple directions as his eyes widened. He fell to the ground, bleeding out.

Toshiro had been accepting some healing Kido from one of his squad members when this happened, as he was just laying down a trap but needed a little boost before he could activate it. His eyes widened, not comprehending how a captain could fall so easily. His eyes narrowed when he felt five other Adjuchas hollows surround them, seemingly comrades of the Guardian.

Laughing cruelly, the Guardian looked around at each of the newcomers. **"It's about damn time! I had to take care of two captains! Thankfully, Kuro here is a powerhouse for a Gillian. Probably about to evolve."** Some of them shrugged, not really caring, while others observed Kuro, noticing his odd appearance for a Gillian.

Their momentary distraction cost them, though, as Toshiro had no qualms with taking advantage of it. They were too busy with each other for the moment to notice that he was focusing. He whispered, "Ryojin Hyoheki (Woven Ice Wall)." A thin ice wall formed around everyone, except Zaraki. As he was still in bankai, he threw the chain at the end of his sword around Zaraki's leg, dragging him in and alerting the Adjuchas that something was happening.

It was too late, though, as the wall of finely woven ice finished forming and Toshiro called out his technique. "Rokui Hyoketsujin(Six-Clothed Ice Binding-Array)!" All around, the 5 ice crystals Toshiro had ice clones place connected to one another, forming a pillar of ice within its bounds that encased all the Adjuchas, though Kuro was far enough away that he was untouched.

Once the attack subsided, Toshiro called out one more attack after dropping his protective ice barrier, seeking to finish the job. "Hyōryū Senbi(Ice Dragon Swirling Tail)!" A crescent wave of ice flowed from his sword as he swung it in a horizontal arc at the frozen Adjuchas in front of him, and another followed as he turned around, doing the same for the ones behind him.

They ice shattered and most of them fell to the ground, all except the Guardian, who'd pulled his tails around him like a barrier and was able to survive, but even he was in a bad state, frost spreading along his body from the gouges the last attack had dealt him along with the sluggishness that had overtaken and almost consumed him for the time he was stuck in the ice.

Kuro stepped forward, a shriek bursting from his mouth. **"Protect...,"** was all Kuro said before another massive cero was brought to life in front of his mask's open mouth, the red glow rather eerie in the decently dark forest.

He fired it directly at Toshiro, concentrating the beam on him, though it was large enough to affect those around him. The other Gillians joined in, following Kuro's lead and focus firing on Toshiro. Even though he was in bankai, and was getting healing Kido moments prior, he couldn't weather an assault like that, even if he was at 100%.

Eventually, his wings were blown away, though they did manage to deflect enough ceros into other Gillians to lessen the incoming damage to a survivable level, and he took the attack, shielding his face feebly with his arms.

When the attacks died down, the squad members were shaking in their boots. Toshiro's uniform was blown to bits, barely enough left to cover his modesty, and more than half of his skin was burnt. Badly. Deciding that they'd had enough injuries, they retreated, grabbing any injured who could still make it and fleeing through a special Senkaimon that one of them had kept active through the endeavor.

Once they were gone, Kuro shrieked in triumph, something the other Gillian joined in with. Unfortunately, the Adjuchas were injured beyond the point of helping, and wouldn't last another hour. The Guardian, being the least injured of the group, ate his comrades, trying to regain enough strength to make it through.

Kuro just watched on curiously, though his own hunger was rising, prompting him to go after the weakened Adjuchas. Fortunately for the Guardian, the feeling was overshadowed by the curiosity Kuro felt. Unfortunately for the Guardian, his comrades energy wasn't enough to save him, as his wounds were closing a bit faster but frost continued to creep up his body, albeit much slower. Eventually, he knew it would overtake him, and he would cease to exist.

Looking up at Kuro, he observed the Gillian, trying to peer into the soul that was currently dominant, to see if it had any chance to actually reach Vasto Lorde. Sighing in resignation, he said one thing. **"Kuro! Eat me!"** The Gillian, while not having any facial features, seemed almost mournful. At the very least, it wasn't completely happy to devour this one.

The Guardian stared at him in shock. **"You can think, you can talk, you can feel, you LOOK different... no, you ARE different. I'd be honored to reach Vasto Lorde as a part of you, Kuro. I'd prefer it to one of the common Gillian chowing down, or, worse yet, I simply die from my wounds and cease to exist...** **"**

When Kuro didn't move, he did something he never did in his entire hollow existence. Begged. **"...P-please..." This is the best way you can protect me, and yourself. I'm strong, so you'll be that much closer to stopping the hunger, to focusing on doing what drives you. You'll become an Adjuchas like me with ease, and I know you'll make it to Vasto Lorde. You wish to protect, right? So, protect me from the scavengers... by taking me with you, as a part of you."**

That was the final push. Reaching down, Kuro picked up the almost dead and slowly freezing Adjuchas and brought him up to his mouth, swallowing him whole. Kuro's body glowed before shrinking down, becoming far more compact, yet many times stronger, which was amazing, considering the strength he had before.

When it was all over, in the original Kuro's place stood a humanoid hollow with a long, reptilian tail. Its mask was similar to the Gillian it once was, but the stripes below the teeth were closer together, offsetting them a bit, and tapered off, coming to a point at the hole that was located in the center of his chest. From that hole, other markings extended, one going up each arm, splitting into five when they reached his wrists and trailing down to his clawed hands, coloring the actual nails black, while two others, coming out the bottom, went down to his legs, which had layers reminiscent of samurai armor but smoother.

The lines continued, splitting into five different markings that each took a position equidistant around the leg until they reached clawed feet. The feet them selves had three claws in the front and one in the back, the two stripes in the back coming together to reach the tip of the back claw.

After a moment of complete silence, the hollow screamed. After a moment, he stopped, all of the Gillian around focusing on him. **"Kuro...saki. Ichigo. Yeah."** Memories were coming back to him in a flood, though there were some that weren't his. There were at least two different Shinigami he felt, along with a multitude of other souls. They threatened to overwhelm him, but, in a show of will power, he forced them down.

When he finished securing his individuality, he looked around at the Gillians around him, a very non-Ichigo-like glint coming into his gold on black eyes as the hunger that was there returned in full force, and he decided to indulge. The wails of Gillians echoed through the forest for a long time.

A good amount of hours later, there were no more Gillian in the area and a content Ichigo Kurosaki. **"That was... satisfying. Now, what the hell happened to me? I remember a hollow attacking, then... then I was giant... or was it one of the others?... no, I was there, and that Guardian guy was calling me "Kuro"... Well, he was saying something about becoming a Vasto Lorde, and he called me something like a... Gillian? Yeah, I'm a Gillian, whatever that is... No, I WAS a Gillian. I think that I'm an Adjuchas now, right?"**

He brought his clawed hands up to his head. **"Agh! This is complicated! I think what I need to do is keep eating... yeah. I'm still hungry. Maybe I'll be stronger for it too. I feel better after eating those other... Gillian."** He didn't even notice how easily he adapted to the situation, how his mind pointed him in the direction of progress without him actually possessing the knowledge.

* * *

A/N: Yup, OOC Ichigo. I'd imagine that becoming a hollow would change ANYONE, no matter how kindhearted. Their very existence is based on defeating and eating their own kind to gain power until they reach the point of no longer needing to do this, aka Vasto Lorde. Then what? Ichigo's gonna find out the hard way, but HOW he goes down this path... well, read the next chapter when it comes out.

Also, I think I have some explaining to do. So, Ichigo was eaten by a hollow. In my story, a hollow has to reach a certain level of power before they can even be a candidate for becoming a Gillian. Fishbone D, which was the hollow's name, was right under the level needed. Ichigo is the son of a Shinigami and a Quincy while he possessed a natural born hollow side(will be explained later in the story), so his power is rather large, just untapped.

That sent Fishbone WAY over the level of power needed to become a Gillian, putting him above most Gillian in terms of power already. When he sought to sate his hunger on the other souls around him, Ichigo's will, which was stronger than his own, put its foot down, telling him to leave. He did so and went back to Hueco Mundo, possessing enough power to evolve but still needing a few more souls.

After killing off his fellow hollows, they merged, becoming a Gillian. Now, in my mind, the process of becoming a Gillian is something of a competition. If any of the souls eaten had an extraordinary drive, surpassing that of the others by a decent amount, then it would come out on top. Normally, it's a hollow soul, but Ichigo was in their. He is part hollow already, giving him the ability to triumph over them, and his will is strong. The biggest thing to him was protecting others, at the time, so, with that drive still fresh, he triumphed.

THEN there was the Guardian of the Forest and Shinigami hunting party part. This was just so the Shinigami would recognize the name Kuro, and Ichigo could recognize his hate for Shinigami, though it has faded substantially. I'll get to what they did after the encounter eventually, but I'd rather not spoil that now. Regardless, they pushed the Shinigami back, but the Adjuchas were just about dead after Toshiro's surprise attack.

In the end, the Guardian of the Forest ate them trying to replenish his power, but it wasn't enough, as Toshiro's ability to freeze what he cuts was sapping his power. He asked Ichigo to eat him, as he didn't know what would happen if the frost overtook him. He might've become a meal for another lucky Gillian, he might've ceased to exist completely, the ice taking over completely before shattering but keeping the shards of him from dissipating.

Ichigo ate him, and since the Guardian was rather powerful, as shown when he could take Zaraki with his eye patch on, he evolved into a rather strong Adjuchas right off the bat.

He started getting information that wasn't his from memories of the souls within him, though he pushed them down. His own instinct was active, telling him what to do. Now, don't worry when I say this, but he and his inner hollow are currently one. In the story, his inner hollow is both his shinigami and hollow powers, making Zangetsu Quincy. They'll both appear later on, but, for now, they're silent.

Seriously, though. He'll get OOC as hell, and that's because no one goes down the hollow path and comes out the same... if they come out at all. And a little tidbit of info that likely won't be relevant. His shinigami powers get rid of his need to feed, he's just prompted to by his instinct because he's a hollow.


	2. Paving the Way

A/N: So, this chapter is gonna just be setting the ground work for the story, though it purposely leaves some things out. Might go back to them, might not. Regardless of that, don't take anything in this chapter at face value, because there are already shifts from this that I have plan. Like I said, this is the ground work from which the story will build. For one thing, fuck Yammy. I hate him. But that's fine for me... 'cause I killed him off.

Now, the length of chapters for this story will fluctuate anywhere from 5K to 20K words, since I just write until I feel a cut off point I want to use. This one is on the longer end, though it's not quite a monster chapter. Don't get too used to it, though. It takes me a day or so of typing to get this kind of stuff done. Thankfully, summer break is a thing. Unfortunately, people always call you up for stuff. Oh well. I do what I can.

Since I've gotten through that stuff... On to review responses!(I've never actually done these, to be honest)-

Chrome Disaster: Well, he will at least see them again, but I don't know if he'll go back. These chapters write themselves. I'll find out only a little while before you find out. But, as for immunity to that, well, he will be, but he won't be. It's complicated, but, for now, I'll say it'll effect him but he has an easy way out, if he thinks of it.

Wimallidge: I doubt I can really pin down any stories that really inspired me for this specific one, as I don't know what path it'll take yet, but I can say a few I've read in the past three months or so. A Protector's Pride by NeoRyu777, White by Melkor's Mercy, Feeling Hollow by Daricio, Inverted and Unholy Perfection, both by PimpedOutToast, Torn by jazzpha, and the Opposite of Reality by Desuse. Awesome stories, all of which I recommend greatly.

Nazi: I must say that, while you have a valid point, I am coming from other stories that have Ichigo doing this. His isn't the only one, and I've credited some of those I have taken inspiration from above. As for originality, well, the concept is rather similar, and I also plan to have him known to the shinigami. To be fair, as I'm currently looking back to the first chapter or two of white to see if your correct, I will admit there are some striking similarities. Seriously, I think I found a line that was almost word for word, but it was accidental. The hunting party, I did get from this story, same for the concept of the name. I didn't remember where I got the hollow design from until now that I'm looking at it. But the fight scene itself is different, as is the interaction and the result. You'll understand that later.

Another also, I lack the part after with the Gotei 13, as I'm discussing it in this chapter. Unfortunately, it will likely have some similarities. I'll reread the story up to wherever it is now to try and avoid this, if you wish, but the entire point of my story is a different. This really seeks more to explore what Ichigo will do with all of his power once he reaches the point where trying to survive isn't the most prominent thought in his mind. His changes will come through in the story. Sorry if a similarity with another story is killing it for you. Just wait a bit. I really do care about these things, and, if you think it's too similar, I'll scrap the chapter(though, as I compare them, it's no where near that bad). A planned similarity, though, is the relationship with Ulqiorra, which will be... different in its own way, and Grimmjow being a Vasto Lorde.

Daedricdragon: Thanks.

hornet07: Already addressed this so... Done! Do you think I should put that in the first chapter though? Might stop any copycat call-outs. Tell me if you find it necessary.

: Your wish is my command.

Now, I don't really have anything else to say. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

It'd been two months since Ichigo had become an Adjuchas and now it was boring him. Originally, he could feel his power growing with each meal, but now, they were all weaker than him. Far weaker. No new born Adjuchas could HOPE to match him, and he knew it.

He'd repelled another hunting party earlier today, though he'd almost died. They had seemed to be the same Shinigami as before, though they were in larger numbers. In the end, he'd told them to stay out of the forest after he put a few holes through Zaraki's chest with his claws and almost incinerated the tiny captain, and he could tell that they took the message to heart.

Now, Ichigo was walking along the bottom of the menos forest, carrying a chunk of a bird-like Adjuchas he was eating. As he traveled on his trip from nowhere in the east to no where in the west, he made doodles in the sand with his tail. The thing seemed to have a mind of its own, but that was something he was grateful for. It made him feel less... lonely. Even when he spared an Adjuchas and offered to let them come with him, they declined and ran away, making the intense loneliness he felt get all the stronger.

Shaking his head of such thoughts, he looked up, as he had been for a long time. The canopy above the menos forest seemed to be made of sand, though he couldn't imagine how it stayed up for the life of him.

He'd seen a few Adjuchas go up there, but they never came back so he had no clue how safe he'd be if he went up there. Stopping to think, he snacked on the Adjuchas in his hand on and off, his hunger having been sated for the time but continuously coming back.

Sighing, he looked down in the sand, seeing that his tail, in the good few minutes he'd been mulling the decision over in his head, had drawn a crude depiction of his family. He wasn't in the picture. **"Well, let's see if I can change that. Vasto Lorde status, Kurosaki Ichigo is coming shortly. He was caught in traffic."**

He chuckled to himself, his voice sounding distorted if not down right scary, as he threw his hand up, a tri-focus cero forming at the tips of his outstretched middle and index finger. **" Cero." **It exploded outward, blasting a hole in the canopy which he quickly took advantage of.

Having learned the basics of reiatsu from a talkative and desperate Adjuchas, he used it to propel himself out of the forest, landing on a desert. Looking around, he took it all in with a sharp eye that came from practice observing your surroundings for danger. He'd almost been ambushed more than enough times in a single lifetime.

In one direction laid sand preceded by sand but followed by... more sand. Sighing he turned around, expecting to find the same thing. To his surprise, he could make out a building. **"Huh... how the hell did they manage that? Gonna check that out later. Gonna get to Vasto Lorde first, though."**

Light snickering alerted him to someone who managed to sneak up on him. Turning around, he found no one. He looked up as it turned into full blown laughter.

It was really beginning to get on his nerves, so he got into the air, solidifying his reiatsu below his feet as he scanned his surroundings before he got tired of the laughter. **"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!"**

A mask appeared in the sand. **"I am everywhere!"** Ichigo began to charge two ceros at his finger tips on each hand, not liking the guys superior tone. **"The very sands of this desert are my body. I am invinc-"**

Ichigo had had about enough of him. Letting them rip, he remembered what the annoying hollow had said, so he made a circle of glass all the way around, trapping the hollow. His ceros continued, though they drained him constantly.

Dragging them inward, he isolated the hollow's mask, turning almost all the sand surrounding it into glass. Landing on the glass in front of the mask, Ichigo grabbed it, and dragged it up, sand following in pitiful amounts. **"You're lunch. Hope you don't taste how you look."** Opening his jaws, Ichigo took his first meal above the menos forest.

After he was done, he rubbed the back of his hand across his mask. **"Che. Tasted a bit too sandy for me. Hope there aren't others like him."** Not feeling any need to be secretive at the moment, he let his reiatsu blanket the area he was in, an open challenge. **"My boredom is gonna get me killed, but-"** He was cut off when a bird-like hollow dive-bombed him.

Jumping to the side, he quickly grabbed one of its wings, dragging it to the ground. Holding it there, he ripped off the other one with a sickening squelch, though he would've grinned at the sound if his mask didn't stop that. As it stood, he chuckled darkly. **"You know, I hate trying to catch you bird-hollows, but you guys taste so good. Not quite like chicken, but still rather tasty."** With that, he snapped the writhing hollows neck and began to chow down, scanning his surroundings for another meal.

* * *

Soul Society- Captain's Meeting

* * *

A heavily bandaged Kenpachi Zaraki and even worse off Hitsugaya Toshiro, who was covered head to toe in bandages, stepped forward as Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni bid them to report. Unohana's mouth pressed into a thin line as she saw Toshiro moving around. As the captain of the 4th Division, it was her job to heal and didn't enjoy seeing him out of a hospital bed.

Toshiro was the one to begin the report. "When we entered for the hunting party, it was business as usual. We took out a few droves of Menos Grande, a few normal hollows, and even a few Adjuchas. When we were winding down, a hollow appeared in front of us. The same one we'd reported on previously, but it'd evolved into an Adjuchas in the time we'd been gone.

"I wish I could just say it was a repeat performance, Yamamoto-sotaicho, but he had no back up and almost killed us on its own. It blindsided me with a cero, catching Matsumoto-fukutaicho and many of my company in the crossfire. You can see the results..." His input stopped there, as he was put out of commission by the blast.

Zaraki scoffed at him before taking over. "The hollow, Kuro, I think the fucker went by, tried it with me and I cut through it. He didn't give me chance to pull my patch off, though. Just popped up in front of me and started stabbing. His hands had a black flame thing going on, but it worked like a spear and went straight through my chest.

"From what I've heard, Ikkaku tried again and got his ass beat, same with Yumichika. They all got the hell outa there after Yumichika went down as well. Dragged us, pipsqueak and the babe with 'em." After he finished, everyone was silent, mulling over the information. They didn't even give Zaraki's lack of manners a moment's thought in light of the new information.

Yamamoto, who hadn't moved since Toshiro began speaking, opened an eye to stare at Toshiro, showing how serious he found this. "Hitsugaya-taicho, are you certain it was the same hollow?"

Toshiro thought for a moment before nodding. "Hai, Sotaicho. It felt like a stronger version of the cero it gave last time. It possessed an identical reiatsu signature."

Closing his open eye, Yamamoto took a moment to think as well, trying to discern just how big of a threat this hollow was. _'I don't think it is enough of a danger to risk more than two captains to hunt it, but...'_ Coming to a decision, Yamamoto tapped his staff on the ground, getting the attention of the other captains. "You will all inform your squads of this hollow's appearance and skill level and that they should call for back up immediately in the event of a sighting."

He looked directly at Kurotsuchi Mayuri, captain of the 12th Division. "Kurotsuchi-taicho, you will attempt to obtain reiatsu samples from the injuries of Kenpachi-taicho and Hitsugaya-taicho and place a detector in the current jureichi, Karakura town, as the high concentration of spiritually aware humans may attract it." He turned to look to Ukitake Jushiro, captain of the 13th Division. "Ukitake-taicho, you are to remove Kuchiki Rukia from her station in Karakura immediately."

Yamamoto's eyes set their sights on Sui-Feng, captain of the 2nd division, commander in chief of the Onmitsukido(think of them as the covert ops in soul society), and 9th Head of the Feng Family. "Sui-Feng-taicho, I want you to send an assassination party into Hueco Mundo in an attempt to end this hollow before it evolves again, but you are not to set foot in there."

He proceeded to slam his staff into the ground this time. "You have your orders. Dismissed!"

* * *

Ten Months Later

* * *

Ichigo was wandering around Hueco Mundo, unsure of what to do. **"Shit, it's felt like forever since I've actually had a challenge... Maybe I'll only use one hand on the next one. Oh,oh, and no running, only jumping. Nah, that's dumb..."** He'd kept his reiatsu out in the open, an invitation to challenge him that many took. Some where too weak to even bother with, others too arrogant, but they all came, regardless.

The most interesting one had been a panther Adjuchas with a following. THAT had been a surprise, but once he beat their leader, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez(going with wiki spelling), he'd been handily rejected. He'd shrugged it off, but was rather disappointed at being alone again.

A tremor in the ground broke him of his thoughts. It only grew as time went on, prompting him to whip his head around, searching for its source. His mouth dropped open as he saw a giant, many legged hollow come barreling towards him, so large it dwarfed the trees it stepped on.

Eventually, it got to Ichigo, but went right by him. It stopped suddenly, looking around. It muttered to itself, though, given its size, Ichigo could hear it loud and clear. **"Huh, it's getting smaller. But ain't nobody here."** Suddenly he came to what he thought was the only possibility. **"STOP HIDING, YOU COWARD!"**

Ichigo realized that he was talking about his reiatsu, and got pissed. **"OI! FUCK YOU! I'M RIGHT HERE!"** When the hollow was shocked and started looking around frantically, Ichigo's eyes gained a dark look. Jumping onto the hollow's back, he took off towards the upright part of his back, heading for his head. While running, he pushed reiatsu into his claws, making them seemingly catch aflame, though it was just the red-trimmed black aura that was his reiatsu.

He raked his claws along the huge hollow's back as he went, leaving gouges that still had intense, visible traces of his reiatsu. He went up the hollows back, zigzagging as he went to maximize the pain. When he jumped over his head, landing in front of the hollow, it was grabbing at its back in pain, trying to stop it. **"Well, see me now, asshole?"**

The sudden address was enough to draw the hollow's attention from its wounds. Looking at Ichigo, he took in the form that, to him, was puny and began to laugh. **"GWAHAHA! YOU'RE SO- SO TINY!"**

Ichigo was glad he hadn't promised himself he wouldn't kill this hollow. He would've broken that promise. As the flame like reiatsu climbed up his arm, he growled. **"Just tell me your name. It'll annoy me even more if I don't have a name to put to your dumb-ass face later."**

The hollow calmed himself a bit. **"Aha... haaa. Oh, that was good. The name's Yammy Llargo. Don't bother remembering it, it won't matter in a few seconds."**

Ichigo nodded. **"You're right. It won't."** Surprising Yammy, he dashed at his face, using the built up energy to slam his entire arm through the hollows eye, before releasing it all in a projectile, sending it though his skull.(A/N: This was sooo satisfying to write. I really hate Yammy.)

As Yammy fell to the ground, dead, Ichigo nodded. **"You would regret being right... if you were still alive!"** Ichigo began to cackle, immersing himself in the feeling of this oddly satisfying kill. It was the first one he'd truly enjoyed in a long time, actually. Deciding he'd waited enough, he began to chow down.

A few hours later, he was done. As he got up, his body froze. **"Wha..."** His sentence was cut of by the feeling of muscle rippling beneath his skin. He screamed as he felt his body bursting out wards, a pillar of his special, black reiatsu going high into the eternal night sky.

After a minute of this, the power growing the whole time, it soon condensed into one humanoid figure. It's mask was, for all intents and purposes, a skull. It had horns coming out the sides before they came inwards, ending a foot or so away from Ichigo's face. His markings on his mask were about the same, though at the top of his mask there were two spikes that were marked between the two other lines, coming down onto his forehead.

The bottom of the lines that ran over his eyes ran all the way to the hollow hole that laid in the center of his chest. There were four other lines that came from the hole, two on each side. They all went back, going over Ichigo's shoulders. Between the first lines to go over his shoulders and the ones coming from his mask, there were tufts of red fur. Similar patches were around his wrists and ankles.(A/N: Google Vasto Lorde Ichigo.)

The most... odd part of him was the fact that he had umanori hakama pants(A/N: Google 'em) made of the same black reiatsu as before and there was a black daito on the ground. It had a guard with four prongs bent in the shape of the manji(A/N: kanji for full, the ban in bankai) and its handle was black with red diamonds, a chain hanging off the end. (A/N: Pretty much cannon Ichigo's bankai sword)

Something told Ichigo that it was his, so he picked it up, but as he did so, the chain circled his arm before tightening. The moment he touched the sword, he saw a flash of a mask with two sword crossed behind it and a name popped into his head, whispered from his very core. **"...Zangetsu(Slaying Moon)..."** The moment he said the name, Ichigo felt a burning sensation right before the blade and chain turned into black reiatsu as well, leaving a chain tattoo on his arm that attached the a manji tattooed on his palm.

When it was all over, Ichigo examined himself. If he could grin, he would, but, since he couldn't, he settled for a scream of triumph, his double voice and extremely heavy reiatsu making it rather intimidating.

Once he was finished with his celebratory scream, he stopped to think. **"What now?"** For the life of him, he couldn't answer that question. His life for the longest while had been spent trying to reach this point, to preserve himself. But now, he'd reached the top, the peak of hollow evolution. He had little to fear, and nothing short of another Vasto Lorde could hope to give him a good fight now. Good fights were all that kept him sane, really.

Suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts, a white hollow with bat wings appeared in front of him, making him tense. He(it seemed like a male) hadd green tear streaks on its face, and green sclera with a single black slit in each. His hollow hole was placed in the same spot as Ichigo's, but that wasn't what caught Ichigo's attention. No, it was the lack of a mouth.

The hollow pointed at Ichigo and cocked its head curiously. Ichigo returned the gesture as he stared back. **"Are you here to fight?"** The hollow shook its head, but kept pointing at Ichigo. **"Came to see what happened?"** The hollow nodded.

Ichigo wondered how he was having a conversation with something that couldn't speak, but brushed it off. It was the first real interaction he'd had with something that didn't want to kill him immediately and he was gonna enjoy it of it was the last thing he did. **"Well, I just evolved. Whatever just happened was probably just a side effect from it..."** A silence overtook them as the hollow stared at Ichigo and he stared back.

It was likely due to the fact that the hollow couldn't talk, but Ichigo was feeling awkward about trying to introduce himself. Shaking his head, he did it anyway. **"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. I'd ask your name, but... yeah."** The hollow nodded almost sadly, as if this was a common thing with him... which it probably was.

Ichigo sighed, though it sounded weird through his hollow voice. **"Well, where are you from?"** He pointed at its hole then the desert. **"The hollow hole in the desert... oh, that pit of nothingness. Didn't think anything lived down there, or even could."** The hollow shrugged. Ichigo didn't really know how to interpret the action, so he just let it drop.

Looking in the distance and seeing the palace once more, Ichigo turned to the hollow. If anyone saw Ichigo at that moment, they would've laughed, as seeing a hollow shuffle nervously was more than a little amusing. **"Wanna come with me? I'm going to the palace, but it gets kinda lonely."** The hollow looked at Ichigo curiously, but nodded anyway.

Ichigo nodded in thanks and began to walk. Before he got very far, he was already looking back at the hollow. **"Uh, what should I call you?"**

The hollow seemed to deflate slightly. _**'Kurosaki Ichigo... I wish I could introduce myself...'**_ In the end, the hollow pointed to his lack of a mouth and shook his head as it trailed behind him.

Unsure what to name him, Ichigo just fell back on his old name. **"Well, I was called Kuro a while back, so I'll call you that until we figure out your name."** The hollow looked at him in surprise before pointing at himself, specifically the white. Ichigo nodded sagely. **"That's the point, Kuro."** The hollow shook its head, but didn't try to stop him. One might've even seen a spark of amusement in both their eyes.

As they walked on in silence, Ichigo was wracking his head for something to talk about. He'd been cut off from others for so long that holding a conversation was something of an impossibility for him. Suddenly, an idea struck him. **"I asked you where you were from, so its only fair I tell you of my home, too."** Kuro looked at him, his gave unwavering. **"I'm actually from the human world. Not in the same way other hollows are, though."**

Ichigo stopped his explanation a moment to think of how to best describe this. **"It's weird, but it's sorta like this. The hollow that ate me was weak enough that I took over when we became a Gillian, and we became an Adjuchas shortly after. So, I wasn't really a hollow, more like a human trapped as a hollow."** He glanced at his companion curiously. **"That change anything, Kuro?"**

Kuro shook his head, making Ichigo nod. **"Good... How about we speed this up? This snail's pace is getting annoying."** Kuro nodded before taking off towards the palace, leaving Ichigo in the dust. **"Oi!"** Ichigo took off too, following moments later.

After a good few minutes of this, they were both hit by a rather strong burst of power. Kuro almost fell out of the sky, actual shock visible in his eyes, but Ichigo was there to catch it. Ichigo looked off in the distance, sensing an extremely strong hollow. **"If that thing ain't a Vasto Lorde already, imma have to kill it NOW."** Let it be known that Ichigo's sense of self preservation wasn't completely overridden by his love of fighting.

Looking at his companion, who recovered from being suddenly slammed by such a massive reiatsu, Ichigo gestured in the direction of the power. **"C'mon. I gotta meet whoever's THAT strong."** Kuro nodded, trusting that both of them combined could handle whatever it was.

A minute of high-speed travel later, they both appeared in front of the hollow. He was surprised to find that there were actually two of them, and Kuro seemed just as intrigued. The most interesting part of them was their masks. They seemed broken.

The smaller one's mask seemed to be a helmet of sorts with two horns jutting upwards, though the right one was broken. The helmet also covered her right eye, a hole going into it and a flame like design above it. The larger one had a fragment of a mask underneath his chin, wicked teeth evident in the front and a jaw bone that wrapped around his neck behind them. His hole was right below it, barely visible above the cloaks they wore.

Both parties just stared at one another, the two unknown hollows seemingly expecting something with grim acceptance while Ichigo tried to differentiate their reiatsu, something Kuro was doing as well.

After a little bit, Ichigo realized that there was reiatsu coming from the smaller hollow, it was just the exact same as the bigger ones. **"How the hell...? It's like you've got the same soul or something."** Ichigo's voice broke the silence, causing the two to stare at him in what seemed to be shock.

The bigger one looked at them in suspicion. "You're not dying?"(A/N: His voice doesn't really sound very hollow-like, as he's a natural arrancar.)

Ichigo quickly looked himself over for fatal wounds. Finding nothing, he turned back to the pair. **"No, I'm not. Why would I be?"** Kuro nodded in agreement, also rather curious, and surprised at the amount of people encountered just from following Ichigo, though that was a recent feeling.

The hollow just sighed. "Our power is immense. Even other Vasto Lorde can't normally handle it for long. Everything dies and leaves us alone."

Ichigo's eyes showed understanding, even if his face couldn't. **"Well, I'm stronger than them, apparently. I can also control my power better than you can, too. Going at top speed, it took us a fell minute to reach you, so you really should try and reign that in if you DON'T wanna kill things by being."** If a hollow could give "the look", Ichigo was definitely giving it.

The larger of the two looked down at his companion, eyes asking a silent question. She(or at least Ichigo thought it was a girl) nodded up at him and they both seemed to concentrate really hard. For a moment, the pressure lessened, but the moment they opened their eyes triumphantly, it slammed back down on them.

Ichigo was surprised that a Vasto Lorde couldn't control their power. It seemed so basic to him. **_"Then again, I was complete shit at it when I first tried to consciously do it.'_** Shaking his head with a sigh, Ichigo resolved to try a different method. **"You should practice that. In the mean time, try just... I don't know, doing the strongest cero you can. Actually, I want to test mine against yours right now."**

The bigger hollow looked uncertain, but Ichigo brushed off his fears. **"Don't worry about me. I can get out if I'm out of my league."**

The hollow nodded. As Ichigo blurred away in a burst of sonido, leaving a dull buzz in his wake, the other hollow made a finger pistol and aimed at Ichigo. If his mask allowed him to grin, Ichigo would've. As it was, he lowered his head, a large red cero charging between his horns. Suddenly, as they stayed charging, Ichigo realized that his cero was still absorbing power, getting stronger. His old cero had a power limit. _**'**_ ** _Odd. Still haven't learned what I can do with this new body...'_**

Letting them fly, Ichigo heard the other hollow say, "Cero Metralleta(Sub-Machine Gun Zero)."A flurry of decently powered ceros flew at Ichigo, though he was releasing his own at the same time.

The moment his blasted out from between his horns, a name Ichigo never remembered giving passed through his mask. **" Cero Gigante(Giant Zero)." **The two techniques collided, but Ichigo maintained his as a consistent beam instead of letting it explode, which was a good thing, as his opponent's attack lasted. Unfortunately, Ichigo didn't have the ability to gain the upper hand, the sheer amount of ceros rising to match the sheer power of his own cero whenever he increased it.

After about half a minute of this, they were both done, and a bit drained. Ichigo recovered quicker, unknowingly absorbing reishi faster than a normal hollow to replenish himself. **"DAMN! That. Was. Awesome!"** The other hollow just got up from the knee he dropped to and stared at Ichigo.

After a moment, the hollow laughed, surprising everyone there. It was a light one, but laughter none the less. His companion rushed over to him. "Starrk! Why didn't you beat that guy!?"(A/N: Same story for her.)

The newly identified Starrk just placed a hand on her head. "Don't worry, Lilynette. He's strong enough to match me. I can tell from that one cero."Lilynette's lone eye widened and her head whipped around to Ichigo, staring at him in shock.

Ichigo chuckled, though he quickly stopped, as his own laughter creeped him out a bit. **"The name is Kurosaki Ichigo,"** he introduced. **"He can't speak,"** he continued, referring to Kuro, **"so I just call him Kuro."** Said hollow nodded.

Starrk had a small smile on his face, though that didn't convey how happy he was at that moment. "I'm Coyote Starrk and this," he gestured to his partner, yawning as he continued, "is Lilynette Gingerback."

She shot him a look. "I can speak for myself, you know. And stop yawning! You JUST woke up a few minutes ago!"

As she shouted at him, Ichigo turned to Kuro, who was watching on curiously. Appearing next to him in a blur of sonido, he leaned down to whisper to him, as he was a good bit taller. **"They're a bit... odd, don't you think? And I don't just mean the masks."** Kuro nodded in agreement, still watching as Starrk, the clearly stronger one, was bullied so easily by Lilynette. **"Good. I thought it was just me."**

After watching for a while, Ichigo was getting kind of bored. **"Not to interrupt your moment, but do you wanna come with us? We're heading to that giant building place in the distance, and a bit of company is always welcome."**

Starrk, who was looking at Ichigo thankfully, looked to Lilynette, who shrugged. Looking back to Ichigo, he made his decision. "Sure. The place is called Las Noches but... You sure you wanna go there? Baraggan and his *yawn* army are over there. He's pretty strong." At the look he was getting from Lilynette, he quickly added, "But I'm sure either of us could take him." She nodded, satisfied.

If a hollow could smirk, Ichigo would've. As it stood, his eyes just gained a predatory look. **"That's what I'm counting on. I know about Baraggan, the so called "God-King of Hueco Mundo". I kinda want a good fight right now, and he'll be trying to kill me if I challenge him, from what I hear."** He looked about as giddy as a hollow could be at the prospect of fighting someone considered that strong.

Kuro, Starrk, and Lilynette all looked at him oddly before Starrk and Lilynette shrugged. None of them really cared for his reasons, they were just glad for the company in the empty world that was Hueco Mundo. When Ichigo began walking toward Las Noches, they just followed, happy for some sort of purpose beyond wandering the desert alone. After a few steps, he disappeared in a burst of sonido, and the rest follow suit, Lilynette grabbing onto Starrk, since she couldn't keep up on her own.

After a few hours of this, they were in walking distance of the palace. As they began to walk in, Lilynette ran up and kicked Ichigo in the shin, making him stumble and fall to one knee. **"The hell, brat!?"**

She just glared at him for a few seconds, watching him rub his shin, careful not to use his claws. Walking back over to the amused Starrk, she "Hmph"ed at Ichigo. "THAT was for going so fast!" Ichigo growled, which was a rather intimidating sound, but turned away before he could see her shiver.

Rising up to his full height again, which was considerable, he sighed. **"Let's just get there quickly. Fuck the dramatic entrance."** With a burst of sonido, he disappeared, heading to the most potent reiatsu signature outside of his group. Said group followed momentarily, Kuro being the last one, as he took a moment to shake his head at Ichigo's... being Ichigo.

Appearing in front of an open air throne area, they found Baraggan sitting atop a throne situated upon a raised platform, stairs leading up to it. Behind him, there was a pole that rose into the sky, but not quite out of the "palace". It had a curved top and a broken bell hung from atop it, a very long chain hanging down it.

There was a paved path up to the "king" that hey stood on, hollows on each side. When they registered their presence, the hollows were stirred into an uproar. **"Who the hell're you!?"** was the general message they got across.

Ichigo scoffed as a few of them attempted to attack. He glanced at the ever staring Kuro, who nodded before disappearing with a buzz of sonido. When he reappeared, the hollows who jumped at him exploded into blood, body parts falling left and right. Each of them were dead without a doubt.

Baraggan raised a hand, calling for silence. In the resulting quiet, he observed the ones who gathered in front of him before laughing. **"AHAHAHA! Good, good. I was just getting bored, actually. I'd gathered my army and was going to divide them and have a mass fight to the death, but this is much better than watching ants fight amongst themselves."** He continued to laugh for a moment longer before calming himself. **"Now, who are you and for what have you sought an audience with the king?"**

Ichigo scoffed once more. **"Well, aren't you the humble one."** He just ignored Starrk, who yawned behind him. **"I've come to challenge you, Baraggan."**

The "god-king" began to laugh again. **"Oh? You and what army."**

Ichigo cackled in response. **"I'm a one man army! Now stop stalling!"**

The ruler of Hueco Mundo laughed at him in return. **"The king doesn't normally entertain every fool that comes to challenge him, but I'll humor you. But first, tell me your name, hollow."**

Ichigo took a crouched stance, his black reiatsu roaring to life on his arms, which were out to his sides, as he glanced at his companions, telling them to back away, which they did. **"Kurosaki Ichigo."** Starrk just leaned against a wall near the entrance, falling asleep, while Lilynette watched on eagerly and Kuro just stared at Ichigo.

Baraggan nodded. **"Strong name. But not fit for this world. Regardless, in front of a god such as I,** **Baraggan Louisenbairn, there is little you can protect. It matters little who you are, for all things that live will eventually age and die! Fall before the almighty hand of time!"** He then breathed out a cloud of black and purple smoke. **" Respira(Breathe)." **

Ichigo didn't trust anything that radiated as much... death as that thing did. He swiped his hands in front of him, releasing a wave of reiatsu that blasted the attack away. He watched was the remains of the hollows Kuro had killed rotted, turning into true corpses before returning to the reishi that made up their bodies.

Ichigo growled, his hakama becoming even more intense as he sprinted at Baraggan, not even bothering to use sonido.

His pure speed was enough.

When he moved, he was a blur, the other hollows in the room unable to see him and the Vasto Lorde finding a blur where there was supposed to be an Ichigo. Baraggan, using a giant, black battle ax, tried to bisect Ichigo down the middle as he arrived, but the move was dodged as Ichigo darted to the side and got behind him.

Using his arms like blades, he tried to cut through the king. He was dodged, his attack being answered with a horizontal slash from the king, who turned around, seeking to cleave him in two.

Opening his hand, he brought it to the side and caught it. Despite his rather strong hierro, and the reinforcement of his reiatsu, the blade managed to pierce his palm. No one noticed the blue pattern on his skin at the point of contact, not even Ichigo, that prevented anything further. Regardless, the fact that he was able to stop it at all was enough to shock Baraggan.

Ichigo felt this and let out a chuckle. **"There a problem, Barry-chan?"**

Baraggan, regaining his wits, shook his head. **"Not in the slightest, ant. Respira." **A black cloud of death to Ichigo poured out of Baraggan and almost engulfed Ichigo, who was right next to him. Pushing the ax back in a burst of force, as he felt Baraggan still pushing on it in the event he just let go, he jumped back, spinning once as he released a wave of black reiatsu to counter the move.

It would've worked, but Baraggan just kept it going, making more and more of the deadly gas. It eventually engulfed its creator, but Ichigo could see it had no effect on him. He could only mutter to himself, **"The fuck am I supposed to do about that!?"** Despite being rather quiet about it, Baraggan heard and laughed.

Baraggan's response was simple. **"Die."** He didn't bother rushing Ichigo, as, in order to fight, he'd have to get up close.

Ichigo was stuck now. If he ran in as he was, he'd get destroyed. His body would rot away. But, if he tried to play from a distance, Baraggan would win, as he just had to maintain the cloud of death around him. Growling, he fired off a concentrated wave of reiatsu at his opponent, seeing how strong the smokey miasma was. He found that it entered, but dissipated.

Baraggan laughed at him. **"A valiant effort, but futile. Just as all of life will eventually die, all things they make will rot away, becoming nothing but a memory which will eventually be forgotten. You cannot resist the absolute power of time. In front of me, you are naught but an ant."**

The last remark made Ichigo angry. The hollow was truly getting on his nerves with the ant stuff. He'd worked to gain the power he had, sweat and bled to reach this point. _**'How DARE he!? God-king, huh? About time you were knocked down a peg. And I WILL be the one to do it!'**_ As if in response to his resolve, his chain tattoos tingled before they materialized, going from the top of his arm down as they became actual chains once more. When it reached the black manji in his palm, the same sword as before appeared.

No one noticed a thing was happening, as his arms were still covered, until the sword appeared. The black reiatsu traveled down the blade as he continued to channel reiatsu to his arms. After a few seconds of this happening to his entire body became, he was engulfed completely, the only visible thing that said Ichigo was still there were his glowing golden eyes in the black reiatsu. **"I will show you the ant, Baraggan!"**

Becoming a blur once more, though he was much easier to track for the hollow army and his companions due to the aura, he dove into the miasma. Baraggan was shocked, as Ichigo wasn't rotting, though the aura became a bit smaller as time went on.

Ichigo reached the god-king and just engaged in bladed combat, his daito deflecting or, much to Baraggan's shock, blocking the blows. He was cloaked by his aura, so his attacks were unpredictable and seemingly instant.

It was a battle of the gods to the normal hollow, as Baraggan poured out more of the miasma, trying to overwhelm Ichigo's reiatsu defense, and Ichigo poured out more reiatsu, trying to beat back Baraggan's Repsira.

At some point in the exchange, Ichigo began to laugh. It wasn't a happy laugh, but filled with satisfaction none the less. He was having fun, more fun than he'd had in a long time. The man, well, hollow, was fighting him in a death match with full power. And he loved it. He got to push his body to the limit, as the air was feeling like it got thicker than putty, and he was putting out more of his reiatsu than he'd been forced to in the entirety of his existence. It made his blood boil with excitement.

Ichigo just kept getting stronger and faster as the battle went on, overwhelming the god-king with the ferocity of his strikes. Eventually, he cut off Baraggan's arm and threw the ax out of the cloud before running the hollow through on his sword.

The entire army of hollows was silent as they watched the black cloud dissipate, their leader falling to a knee as Ichigo, dispelling his reiatsu cloak, dragged his still reiatsu covered sword out of their leader. **"Am I still an ant, Baraggan? 'Cause, if so, what does that make you now?"**

Baraggan was panting, his labored breathe the loudest sound. **"Y-you win. *pant* Just kill m-me, and claim the crown, Kurosaki-sama."**

Ichigo cocked his head, finding his wish odd. **"Now, why would I do that? I didn't come to be king, I came to get a good fight. I kill you, I never get this fight again!"**

Baraggan's growl was all he needed to hear, but the god-king beat him to the explanation and proceeded with it. **"I refuse to go on, knowing that I am not deserving of this crown. If you refuse to kill me, just take it!"**

Nodding in resignation, though there was a glimmer in his eyes, Ichigo took the crown off Baraggan's head. But, after he put it on, he said something that made everyone face-palm. **"My first act as King is to resign and I appoint Baraggan as my successor."** Taking the crown off his head, he placed it back on Baraggan's shocked head, laughing in triumph.

A while later, Baraggan was sitting on his throne once more, looking at Ichigo oddly. No one could really tell what type of emotion was going through the hollow's head, as he had no eyes to look into nor was he giving any hints with body language. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but something was stopping him.

They were interrupted by clapping coming from behind them. Turning around, Ichigo saw a man in a captain's uniform with brown hair and glasses walking in front of two other captains's one with silver hair, closed eyes, and creepy smile while the other was dark-skinned, possibly blind, as he had a pair of opaque glasses on his face, and an orange scarf around his neck.

The one in front was the one to speak. "That was impressive." His words seemed like a trigger, causing all the common hollows to roar in outrage.

 **"Who the hell're you!?" "How'd a Shinigami get here!?" "Kill the fucker!"** Such cries and many more were heard, but, once the first hollow jumped at them and was instantly killed with a slash of an unreleased Zanpakuto by the dark-skinned one, they hesitated, which was all that was needed.

Taking the opportunity, Baraggan flared his reiatsu, freezing his subjects in place, though he made no outward movement. Leaning one hand on his face in a show of boredom, he gazed upon them with empty eyes, Ichigo making his way over to his companions in the meantime.

The Shinigami in front gazed back at Baraggan with curiosity in his eyes, carrying himself with an air of superiority. "Would you happen to be the king of Hueco Mundo?"

Baraggan did his best grimace for a millisecond before he answered, though it was barely visible. **"Indeed I am. Who might you be? Shinigami? Or humans? Hmph, I suppose it matters little. For now, I suppose I bid you welcome to my castle, Las Noches."**

The dark skinned one looked around... somehow, before commenting. "This place, a giant box with no roof, is a castle? It appears the king of Hueco Mundo enjoys jokes."

In the background, Ichigo laughed as he called out his response. **"I thought the same thing!"**

Baraggan bristled imperceptibly, sending an annoyed glance in Ichigo's direction. **"The king of Hueco Mundo needs no roof. For he who is king, the sky itself is their roof."**

The apparent leader of the trio reprimanded his subordinate with a glance and a few words. "Enough, Kaname. Verbal arguments are petty and pointless." Casting his gaze back on Baraggan, he continued. "More importantly, king of Hueco Mundo, let's have a talk." He drew his blade, making the other hollows tense. "Would you gaze upon my sword a moment? My... Kyoka Suigetsu(Mirror Flower Water Moon)." Suddenly, Ichigo had a very bad feeling, but before he could act on it, everything went black for him.

* * *

Ichigo's Inner World

* * *

When he regained the ability to see, he was in a world with sideways buildings, but he noticed that it was partially flooded. It barely even registered with him that he was in standing sideways on a building. He could stand on air, for god's sake.

But, as he glanced at the water, he saw something that made him gasp in shock, happiness, and nervousness. Running to it, he used the water as a mirror. Bringing his hand up to his face, he tentatively made contact. "I-... I'm not a..." He couldn't even finish as he noticed that his voice, for the first time in what seemed like forever, was normal.

Sadly, someone ruined the moment. **"Nah, you still are."** Ichigo whipped around, not having sensed anyone behind him, but he found a familiar black sword coming at his face. On instinct, his hand flew up and grabbed it, not even registering the pain from the cut it made on his hand.

Growling at the figure, he quietly, but threateningly asked, "What the hell are you doing?" His voice, now that it didn't have the hollow tint, sounded... weird to him.

The person with his hollow mask, though he didn't even really know what he looked like as a hollow, cackled. **"I was just checking if the instinct you had was all me, or if you really had it in you. Good job, King."**

The title just made Ichigo growl, but he bit back the annoyance at it and decided to ask questions instead. "Who the fuck're you, and where the hell am I?... And why in the nine levels of hell do you feel like me!?" The hollow yanked the sword out of Ichigo's hand, laughing madly as he brought a hand up to his mask, tilting it to the side to reveal a face that Ichigo recognized.

His own.

Ichigo's hostility was overcome by shock as the hollow grinned at him. **"Aw, you don't recognize me, Kingy? You..."** Dashing forward, intending to run him through, the hollow stabbed his Zangetsu forward. **"Wound me."**

Ichigo smacked the sword to the side, scowling at the hollow."I should know you, shouldn't I?"

Suddenly, another voice sounded. "Yes, Ichigo, you should, for we were with you before anyone else." Ichigo turned to the voice, finding a teenager holding another Zangetsu. He had somewhat shaggy and long black hair which flowed in a barely felt wind. He wore a cloak of sorts, though it had a hood behind it.

Ichigo was now thoroughly confused now. _'Zangetsu had felt like a part of me when I first touched it. But these two have one...'_ It was thoroughly confusing for the teen, but a thought occurred to him. With uncertainty and suspicion in his eyes, he shakily asked the teen, "Zangetsu?" Looking to the hollow, he repeated himself. "Zangetsu?"

The hollow laughed while the teen scowled at it. **"Ha! I TOLD you he'd get it! He's been going on instinct for too long to abandon it so easily!"**

The teen just scoffed. "Fine. You get to tell him." He blurred next to the hollow, who was in front of Ichigo.

The hollow grinned, the mask still on the side of his head to his face could be seen. **"'Sup, Ichigo. WE're Zangetsu! Tensa Zangetsu at the moment, to be specific."  
**

Ichigo's response was... not what one might expect. "Well, shit. I just went with a gut feeling with that shot in the dark."

Hollow Zangetsu just grinned at the other Zangetsu, who rolled his eyes. Looking back at Ichigo, he began. **"That feeling, Ichigo, was instinct. You've been a hollow for so long that you're really in tune with yours... aka me."**

Ichigo found this all oddly easy to accept. It was like he just rejoined an old friend who he couldn't remember the name or face of, but knew him better than anyone else. Everything they said, even though he'd never been told them, just seemed to fall into place. That didn't stop him from asking questions, though. "I though you were Zangetsu?"

The hollow nodded sagely. **"I am many things, Ichigo."** He then burst out laughing at Ichigo's face. The other Zangestu rolled his eyes and kicked the hollow into the water, causing him to flip Zangetsu off as he sunk deeper, unable to resist the force of the kick sending him to the bottom.

Walking up to Ichigo he began to explain. "He is, Ichigo. He's your hollow powers, the instinct that drove you to devour other hollows, to reach the top. He was the fear of being eaten. He was what kept you going, for the most part. Until you reached Vasto Lorde, you and he were one. Only now have you two split, and only now have things... changed."

Ichigo scoffed. "Only NOW!? I feel like they changed when I was devoured, but let's not get into specifics. What I know is that I have to get back out there; something's not right."

Zangetsu waved him off. "This is within you. Your mind, your soul. By default, time passes extremely slowly in here compared to the outside world. Even after all this, not even a second has passed outside. Back on topic Ichigo, what else do you feel from the hollow?" Zangestu swiped his sword down, sending a wave of reiatsu down at the recovering hollow without a word.

Ignoring the action, Ichigo stopped the think for a moment, focusing on the hollow. He felt energy similar to the other hollows he'd encountered, so he pinned that feeling down as the hollow part. But he sensed something else, something distinctly... different. It felt like the opposite, if anything. It felt like... "Shinigami!?"

Zangetsu nodded. "Yes, Ichigo. You have Shinigami abilities as well. They were growing with him through your evolution as a hollow, so they are extremely strong. Too strong to be suppressed any longer."

Hollow Zangetsu popped up from the water again, grinning. **"Damn right th-"** He was interrupted by another wave, sending him into the sidewalk below the sideways building at the bottom of the water once more, leaving another Zangetsu shaped imprint.

Ichigo shook his head, but he was really starting to like his apparent hollow side. "Ain't he lively," he commented.

Tensa Zangetsu scowled in a very Ichigo like manner as he looked at the hollow before muttering, "You have no clue..." Shaking his head, he looked back to Ichigo. "Ichigo, we'll get back to him later. What do you sense from me?" His voice was tinged with hope.

As his eyes squinted from concentration, he focused on the apparent Zanpakuto spirit, though he had no clue what that was. When he thought about it, he felt like someone he remembered vaguely. "Ishida...," was all he muttered before shaking his head. "Not a damn clue, Zangetsu."

Tensa Zangetsu nodded, seemingly happy. "Yes, that is the best I'd expect you to get. He is a Quincy, as am I... as are you." Ichigo blinked in confusion but nodded, his face taking on the look of someone completely lost but trying to seem knowledgeable.

Tensa rolled his eyes. "You can hide little from me Ichigo."

Hollow Zangetsu popped back out. **"Same here, Ichigo. We know all your dirty little secrets!"** Tensa attempted to send him back with a single swing, but when it was cut through, he scowled and sent two, hiding the second behind the first. The second one worked.

Nodding to himself, he went back to his conversation with Ichigo. "As I was saying, I know that you don't know what a Quincy is, so I'll give you the shortened version. You know of reishi, the spirit particles that permeate Hueco Mundo, yes?" Ichigo hesitantly nodded, as he only passingly knew the term. "Well, as a Quincy, it means you have the innate ability to manipulate it."

Ichigo blinked. "Okay, but how is that useful?"

Tensa glared at him before he made a nonlethal arrow of reishi fly by Ichigo from behind. "No Quincy ever really masters it to that point, but that is the potential. There are other techniques, like what you instinctively used against Baraggan." At Ichigo's questioning look, Tensa sighed. "I'll explain later. Just know that with the innate ability to manipulate reishi as a Quincy and the passive ability to absorb it as a hollow, you could, theoretically go on forever."

Hollow Zangetsu popped out, this time behind Ichigo, so Tensa couldn't hit him. **"Yeah! But, that ain't the point right now."**

Tensa seemed to give up on keeping the hollow quiet, so he nodded. "He is correct. We called you to meet us at such a time because you are under an illusion by the man who lead the Shinigami. If you were a master of these powers, it would be child's play to break out of this illusion, but, as it is, we will help you. Do not worry Ichigo but know that we will speak when things have calmed down." He seemed to glare at the water as if it had done something to him personally.

Ichigo nodded, but it was a shock for him when Hollow Zangetsu placed the mask on him. When he turned to the hollow, he no longer looked so... bleached(HA!). Actually, he more like... himself(A/N: He's now an exact copy of Ichigo in bankai.). He caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection the water gave, and he saw a hollow.(It's his hollow form.) His vision blacked out again.

* * *

Hueco Mundo

* * *

Ichigo gasped as he slammed back into reality, making his companions look at him questioningly. Said look only increased when he seemed to block a sword strike from nothing. To them, it looked like he was striking a pose for no good reason as the lead Shinigami held his sword up to Baraggan.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was seeing a completely different story. Well, seeing probably wasn't the best word for it. According to what Zangetsu had told him moments before he jumped in front of the "invisible" threat, he was seeing the reiryoku and resulting reiatsu from each living being. The experience was... surreal, but he had little time to dwell on that. Around him, the white haired Shinigami was slaughtering hollows with frightening speed.

Grabbing the dark-skinned one, who Ichigo vaguely remembered was named Kaname, by the face, surprising him with both the move itself and the speed of it, Ichigo chucked him at their leader. Once the man was airborne, Ichigo was gone in a burst of sonido enhanced speed.

Appearing to block a slash from the white haired Shinigami, he grabbed the surprised Shinigami by the arm and threw him in the same way and direction as his apparent partner. As they both landed and recovered, Ichigo appeared in front of them, grasping his blade tightly as he stared holes into the trio.

Their leader looked at him in shock, but smiled not long afterwards. "It seems you can see through my Kanzen Saimin(Complete Hypnosis). Impressive, hollow. Would you explain how that is? Don't worry, none of them can hear us. They think the four of us have left for a momentary chat." He smiled in calm manner, but Ichigo thought he saw a sliver of panic in the man's eyes.

Ichigo's reaction was to smirk, and he was surprised to feel his face doing so... under his mask. Grinning, he put his hand on his mask, his fingers hooking into the eye holes, and pulled up experimentally. It came up without much resistance, but Ichigo was unaware of his bleached white skin and gold on black eyes. Nor was he aware of the black pattern surrounding his eyes at that moment, bleeding into his black sclera(It's a Blut pattern in black). His hair still flowed behind him in the same way, though.

Showing his grinning face to the Shinigami, he explained. **"I know it fools my normal senses, and even my usual ability to feel reiatsu, but you have no effect on reishi based abilities. I can see the particles in the air and, with some effort, even your reiatsu and reiryoku."** The last part was something of a lie, as it was only with Zangetsu's help that he could do this right now, but he didn't need to give that info out.(A/N: Don't you DARE go to the reviews for this. I already know.)

The Shinigami, however, looked like they saw a ghost. Even Aizen's eyes widened, but a smile ultimately came across his lips. "Is your name, by chance, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo nodded warily. **"Did I know you? 'Cause I sure as all hell forgot you if I did."**

The Shinigami chuckled. "No, you didn't know me, but I knew you. Let me introduce myself. I am Aizen Sosuke, and this is Kaname Tousen," Tousen nodded at him, "and Ichimaru Gin."

Gin's smile seemed to grow imperceptibly as he waved with one hand. "Howdy."

Ichigo shook his head, finding the captain a bit ridiculous. His actions put him off a bit, but he'd learned to never truly lower your guard. **"Well, as nice as it is to meet you,"** he began, his voice laced with sarcasm, **"what do you want?"**

Aizen's smile grew as he took in Ichigo's appearance. He seemed oddly happy, like a child who just found the favorite toy he thought he'd lost forever. This made Ichigo a bit nervous, but he pushed the feeling down as he stared the captain down. "We will speak of this more with the others, Kurosaki-kun. It involves them, as well." Ichigo nodded stiffly, his gut telling him to kill this man, but he could tell that these three wouldn't be pushovers like the other two captains he'd managed to beat.

Aizen turned back to Baraggan and held his sword vertically once more. "Kudakero(Shatter), Kyoka Suigetsu." The illusion seemed to, as Aizen commanded, shatter, showing a partially slaughtered army and the four of them standing together.

All those still standing were confused beyond words, but Baraggan was the one to voice this, outrage easily heard in his voice. **"What is this, you ant!?"**

Aizen's smile was unnerving, but before he could play his mind games on Baraggan, Ichigo cut in. **"Baraggan! Cut the shit for a bit. He... he has something to say."** Everyone was surprised to see Ichigo with his mask pulled to the side, but said nothing on it, for now.

Aizen glanced at Ichigo before nodded in acceptance. Looking back to the king, he began. "I plan on bringing down soul society, and I wish for your help, Baraggan Louisenbairn, king of Hueco Mundo. Serve me, and I will open up a new world to you, new heights of power for you to reach."

Baraggan's normal response would've been to laugh, but he stayed quiet, mulling it over. He'd just lost to another Vasto Lorde. If he took this offer, he'd gain the power to reaffirm his supremacy, and then he could just leave.

Ichigo's words cut through his thoughts not long after he fell silent. **"Don't bother, Baraggan. You're already fucked. Everyone here was the moment they saw his sword."** He glanced at Aizen. **"Complete Hypnosis, was it?"** Aizen glanced at Ichigo and scowled for a split second but nodded regardless.

The Shinigami captain cast his gaze back at Baraggan, who was looking at him, outraged. "Should one not set up some insurance when stepping into likely hostile territory? I had no plans on killing you, though I wished to thin the army's numbers in the event you set them on me. It was nothing personal."

Ichigo could smell the lie on the captain's lips, but did nothing but scowl, eliciting a smirk from the captain. Aizen said nothing more, but waited for the hollow's response.

Baraggan, on the other hand, was scared for the first time in a long time. He was beaten by not one but two people in one day and they were both standing in front of him at that moment. One had done it without even fighting him, ending any resistance he could give before it could be given, and the other had overpowered him, rendering his current power ineffective.

In the end, he nodded. **"I will serve you for now, Shinigami. But know this: our agreement is temporary. I have grown complacent in my power and have not sought out these "new heights of power", as you called them. I am sure I could reach them on my own, but you are a convenience with a minimal price. So, for now, I will bow my head to you, as will all others."**

Aizen's smile seemed sweet to everyone else, but, for Ichigo, it made his skin crawl. The feeling was suppressed and hidden under a mask of impassiveness as Aizen turned to him. "What of you, Kurosaki-kun? Will you aid me? I promise you power for your service as well." Aizen thought such a deal would entice any hollow.

Ichigo made sure to prove him wrong. **"Hmm. Thanks, but no thanks. I got more than enough power already. Besides, I don't work for others, and fuck leading."**

Aizen raised a brow at that. "Do you not have followers of your own?" Ichigo's growl told him he was wrong, but before he could correct himself, Ichigo did it for him.

 **"They aren't my followers. You don't understand a damn thing, Aizen. Once you hit Vasto Lorde, the eternal hunger that drove you is gone. You're left alone with immense power and nothing to do with it. I just offered to let them come with me, to help with some of that loneliness. They're my..."** Ichigo would've said friends, but the word felt alien on his lips after so long. **"Companions, I suppose."**

After knowing everything about Ichigo for such a long time, and figuring he was dead for a little over a year now, it was taking Aizen a bit to come back to the point where Ichigo was still something he had to consider, especially now that he could see through his illusions.

Nodding in acceptance, Aizen decided to reword his offer. "Well them how about you work with me? I saw you defeat Baraggan, and your power would be greatly appreciated, as would the power of your companions."

Ichigo glanced back at his companions and saw that Starrk was leaning against a wall, sleeping away, Lilynette was trying to wake him up, and Kuro was looking at him curiously. Looking back to Aizen, Ichigo shrugged. **"You want their help, you ask them yourself. I already said I'm not their leader."**

Aizen nodded once more. "Well, what of you, Kurosaki-kun?"

This made Ichigo stop and think. Looking back up at Aizen, he asked, suspiciously, **"Why should I follow you? Give me a good reason."**

The smile Aizen gave him both reassured him and unnerved him. "I can make you a fake body, a gigai, that will let you visit your family."

Ichigo got a feeling that there was more to this than Aizen was saying, like visiting his family would, in Aizen's mind, somehow cement his position on Aizen's side. He didn't like that, and his narrowed eyes probably conveyed that easily, though he didn't say anything he was thinking. Instead, he just responded in a cold but quiet voice, allowing only Aizen, Gin, and Tousen to hear him. **"What makes you think I want to? I'm like this because I was too weak to protect them, so I don't even think I can face them right now."**

Aizen shook his head. "I am aware of what happened, as I was watching, though not in person. It's the incompetence of the Shinigami assigned to your area that's to blame, not your own weakness. No human is expected to be able fight a hollow anywhere near as well as you did. It's the responsibility of Shinigami to protect the living from them. This is one of the reason's I wish to tear down soul society. The government is corrupt. She didn't even get reprimanded for her failure; it was overlooked completely due to her noble status."

Ichigo saw red for a split second, her face flashing in front of his eyes before he calmed down. Pulling his mask back on, Ichigo agreed with Aizen. **"Okay, I'll follow you for now."**

* * *

A few days later, Ichigo was back in Baraggan's throne room, facing the entire group of Vasto Lorde they'd recruited so far with the entire hollow army around them. He'd personally recruited a hollow named Tier Harribel and her three followers, Emilou Apacci, Cyan Sung-Sun, and Franceska Mila Rose, along with Grimmjow and his followers, though the now Vasto Lorde still wanted to kill him. Through Tier, he met Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, a centaur-like hollow who originally turned down the offer until Aizen came and subtly threatened her friends, Peche Guatiche and Dondochakka Birstanne. Ichigo made him back off, but the damage was done.

Aizen had brought in another Vasto Lorde by the name of Nnoitra Gilga, a tall, thin, six-armed, blade-handed hollow with circular, curved horns. At the mention of more power, the hollow was easily convinced to join. Along with the battle hungry Vasto Lorde, Aizen found Luppi Antenor, a hollow with eight tentacles.

Baraggan had even called in a decently powerful hollow he allowed to roam to try and gain a loyal Vasto Lorde. Sadly he failed, remaining an Adjuchas. His name was Zommari Rureaux, a fiercely loyal and somewhat bell looking hollow with eyes all over his body.

Gazing around at the group of assembled hollows, Aizen waited as they all took in the others. The tension was nearly palpable, but Aizen, Tousen, Gin, Baraggan, and Ichigo showed no acknowledgement of anything of the sort. If anything, the 5 of them looked either relaxed or uncaring.

His hand raised for attention, Aizen began. "Thank you for your willingness to aid me." He ignored Nelliel's light glare and Nnoitra's scoff. "I have planned for this for many years. Before we begin, thought, do any of you know the term Arrancar?"

No one said a word, prompting Aizen to explain. "An Arrancar is a hollow that removes their mask, regaining their "heart". It is symbolic, of course, but that is generally the process." Looking at Starrk and Lilynette, he continued. "Some Arrancar's are natural, like Starrk-san, accidental in many cases. But this process is to become more like a Shinigami, and gaining far more power."

Some of the hollows began to grumble at that, but Aizen waited patiently for them to finish. "I know some of you may not like this, but you won't be becoming Shinigami any time soon. It's natural for two opposing sides to mimic the opposing side in order to gain more power." With their misgivings alleviated somewhat, he continued. "Now, normally, only an Adjuchas-class Menos can become an Arrancar..."

He had to pause to let the army grumble once more, as they completely disregarded the "normally" in his previous sentence. "... But I have been developing a device I call the Hogyoku(Crumbling Sphere)that breaks down the barrier between Shinigami and Hollow, allowing the creation of Arrancar out of any class of hollow. The power increase depends on your own will, though." Aizen's warm smile hadn't left his face the whole time, but when he said the last part, his voice took on a warning tone.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was getting impatient. **"Okay, that's fine and dandy, but what about this Hogyoku? The hell is it at?"**

Aizen nodded at Ichigo. "I was getting to that. You see, mine is currently incomplete, but I know how to complete it. Another scientist had been aiming for the same thing I had been, but he went down another route when creating his. From what I've observed, our creations are two sides of the same coin, and need only be combined to complete it."

Narrowing his eyes behind his mask, Ichigo made a go on motion with his clawed hands. "Well, I need some of you to aid me in retrieving this, preferably you, Kurosaki-kun." Ichigo shivered at the title but said nothing.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as silent. **"Why the hell do you need Kurosaki!?"**

Aizen had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, envious of Ichigo, who just did it openly. "Because, Grimmjow, he can blend in better. Kurosaki-kun, if you would." Ichigo sighed and took off his mask in the same fashion he did before stunning the hollows who didn't know about it, Grimmjow included. "Beyond this, I have a plan that he is best fit for. Is that enough for you Grimmjow?" Despite asking politely, Aizen released a bit of his reiatsu, almost bringing Grimmjow to his knees and crippling much of the army. Grimmjow nodded in a rush, trying to seem unaffected and failing.

Nodding, Aizen resumed speaking. "I believe we should see which of you can accomplish the transformation naturally, first. Those of you who wish to attempt this, just grab part of your masks and try to remove it. Be careful of taking too much." Aizen's voice became sharp and commanding, making many of the hollows follow his orders before even knowing what they were doing.

All around, there were bursts of energy of varying power and duration, ending with humanoid hollows. Ichigo was among those that abstained, thought it wasn't because he wanted to see what happened before he tried. In his head, he heard the voice of Hollow Zangetsu say in a not very hollow like voice, _'Don't you fucking DARE do that to my mask without askin' me!'_

While things were going on around him, Ichigo decided to be snarky. **_'Isn't it MY mask, though? You're a part of me, right?'_** Hollow Zangetsu had no response to that, but Ichigo just kept going anyway. **_'But fine. Can I break the mask?'_**

Surprised that he bothered asking after claiming the mask was his anyway, Hollow Zangetsu just nodded dumbly, which Ichigo felt, rather than saw. He was brought out of his thoughts, thought by a burst of familiar reiatsu.

Kuro had been looking around as others had been transforming. He noticed that a few hollows had no mouths originally and gained one after changing, and that was all the motivation Kuro needed. _**'This silence I am forced into is... detestable. I at least want to introduce myself to him if not attempt to hold a proper conversation.'**_

Grasping his horn, he began pulling. He found resistance that he didn't expect, but that didn't stop him. Increasing his strength, he eventually managed to pull the left horn off, causing an explosion of reiatsu. Being the only Vasto Lorde to change, the energy was far more potent than that of the other hollows, drawing their attention.

When it all cleared, a figure was visible in the settling dust. A completely naked figure. Once the dust began to settle, Ichigo finally saw "Kuro"'s face. Decently long, black hair flowed down past the shoulders. There were black tear marks coming down from his poisonous green eyes. The black hair fell down in front of them, parting naturally in front of the eyes and framing his face while some of it fell between the eyes, curving towards the right side, where a partially helmet like mask fragment remain.

Below this was the hollow hole, on the upper part of his chest. When they dust cleared further, they found two mounds on his chest and slender arms, followed by a thinner than normal waist for a man, despite the toned muscle there, and hips that seemed more than a bit wide in comparison.

Ichigo was staring for a second, feeling like something was off. After a few moments of staring, in which "Kuro" had found his eyes and stared back, it all clicked for Ichigo. In his mind, both Zangetsu had already bet on his reaction.

His voice cut through the silence far easier than a knife through warm butter. **"WHAT IN THE FUCK!? YOU WERE A GIRL THIS WHOLE TIME!?"** His hands flew to the side of his face and, looking back on it, he was thankful for the mask that stopped him from making gouges in his head. **"This changes my entire view of the world... Everything I thought I knew could be a lie. Does everyone here even exist?"** His words seemed to ease the shock of the others with humor as more than a few hollows laughed at him.

Grimmjow cackled, loving every minute of his breakdown, and Aizen joined him, finding his reaction amusing. Gin himself was shaking slightly, though his face betrayed none of the amusement he was keeping contained. Even Tousen smiled lightly, enjoying it.

While everyone laughed at the "mighty" Kurosaki Ichigo, the one who beat the king of Hueco Mundo, having a small breakdown from making a gender mistake, "Kuro" made his, well, her way over to him. "Kurosaki Ichigo." Her voice was quiet but monotone, the lack of any use making it hard to be emotional with its sound.

Ichigo, breaking out of his small trance, looked up. **"Yeah Kuro... actually, what's your name?"**

She looked at him oddly. "Ulqiorra Scifer. You are horrible at naming." The bluntness of her speech made him blink for a moment, his mind still rebooting. She kept staring at him. "Such an odd reaction. Does my new appearance displease him?"

Ichigo only barely registered the laughter of Hollow Zangetsu and the grumbling of Tensa Zangetsu as he thought on the wording of her statement. **"No, you're appearance doesn't displease me... but you may want to get some clothes. And pick up your sword; I feel like it's important."** Ulqiorra seemed surprised that he heard that.

Disappearing in a burst of sonido and returning a second later holding a sword, she resumed staring at him. "Now that I can speak, I find myself lacking anything to say. Conversation is difficult."

He nodded. **"Yes, it can be difficult, but you get used to it."** She seemed surprised once more, cementing Ichigo's suspicions. **"You might also wanna get used to not speaking what you think; I believe I've been hearing every thought you've had for a little while now."** Ichigo chuckled as the unblinking eyes of Ulqiorra widened.

She was silent, but since Ichigo could see thoughts whirling around in her head, he figured she was getting used to it. Turning to Aizen, he started to discuss the device. **"If we can do this ourselves, why do we even need this device?"**

Aizen's smile took on a superior air. "While you can do this yourselves, the Hogyoku would be much stronger. If you become an Arrancar now, then it will boost your power. If not, it'll do it for you."

Ichigo raised a brow behind his mask. **"When did I say I'd bother with it? I don't even know how strong I am as a god damn Vasto Lorde and you already want me to change?"**

Ichigo was really beginning to associate Aizen's smiles with someone or something being wrong in some way . "You are already an Arrancar, Ichigo. Baraggan was close, but you have a Zanpakuto already, and I believed it's released when you bring it out. All it would do is boost the power you already have."

Making a note to ask Zangetsu(both of them) about the released bit, he nodded. **"Fine then. Do you mind giving Ku- Ulqiorra some clothes?"** Aizen waved him off, gesturing for Tousen to deal with that. **"Thanks. Now,** **about this plan of yours..."**

* * *

A/N: Yup. I haven't seen much femUlquiorra around, so I decided to be different. There is a serious gender gap among the Espada in my opinion, and while I don't care that much(seriously, I give less than a single fuck but more than 0, as I noticed it), I saw it as an opportunity to throw a monkey wrench into things, just to see how it changes things. Not sure if she'll be in the harem or if I do a bit of femslash with her and Orihime. We'll see.

Now, onto my explanation bit. Since Hollow Zangetsu(yes, I'll be calling him that) is both his hollow and shinigami powers, as either side grows, so does the opposite, though not as much. Vasto Lorde was enough of a jump for bankai achievement, but he can't use it without his hollow powers, so I'll still have him go through bankai training on its own to reach it, and he'll be a serious powerhouse once that happens.

Also, I think the Grimmjow and Ichigo rivalry is overdone, so I'm doing a frenemy relationship with Aizen instead. Who knows how that'll change things? Maybe he won't feel as lonely? Maybe he'll get mad that someone ISN'T completely outclassed by him? Don't know.

Regardless, at the very least, Ichigo's personality has already shifted rather drastically. After living in a constant fight for over a year, he's grown used to it and his will to protect has faded, though not completely. He's pretty much a battle nut with a few morals RIGHT NOW. This will change as he starts to get bored with this and his aspect of death becomes apparent, as he will be part of the Espada. See if you can guess what it is. We'll have a little contest.

Well, I think that's about it. Tell me your harem suggestions in the reviews and I'll see how easy to write it'd be, if I didn't already plan to do it. The pairings will develop as the story goes on, though, so you have time. Oh, and for future reference, try to keep reviews to the most recent chapter(which is chapter 2 as of July 20th, 2015). If there are more chapters when you read this, feel free to keep reading. Or not. Can't force you.


	3. SO MANY CHANGES!

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I've been wondering how to do this for a little while, and it's become so obsessive that I can't write any of my other stories without my mind drifting here. Oh well. Let's just get 'er goin'!

* * *

Ichigo scowled at Aizen, his two Zanpakuto spirits mirroring the action in his mind. **"Okay, okay... Let me get this straight, for my sake. There is going to be a team of... Ryoka, was it?"** Aizen nodded patiently. **"And they plan on infiltrating Soul Society to save this Kuchiki Rukia, their friend, from unwarranted execution, fighting their way through Soul Society and the Gotei 13 if need be?"** Aizen nodded. **"And you want me to go in with them under the guise of someone who knows her, using a gigai to appear as my old self but as a Shinigami?"**

Aizen shook his head. "No, you'll be in my newly created reigigai(spirit faux body). It allows one to change the appearance of their true spiritual form until it is exited, which allows them to blend in even better. The bigger the changes, the more reiatsu it takes, so you, who's only difference is skin tone and eye color, are the best candidate."

Ichigo sighed, accepting the explanation **"As long as I get to keep the hair, it's fine. So a man named Urahara Kisuke is gonna use a matter-reishi converter and send all of us in their, me in a reigigai for no other reason than to get rid of suspicion. Then I'm supposed to, if need be, help them fight their way through soul society to the Shrine of Penitence, where she's being held until her execution time. The only reason you aren't letting her be executed is that the method, via the Sokyoku, is 'cause it might damage the Hogyoku, as you don't know how fragile it is. I got this all right so far?"**

At Aizen's nod, Ichigo sighed before continuing. **"So, then, I'm to wait until the day of her execution to rescue her, making the act of helping but being repelled believable, which will be helped by my partially sealed hollow powers 'cause of the reigigai thingy.**

 **"Once I do rescue her, and do battle with some of the Shinigami, you'll come along, and take it out of her soul, as it was placed there by the very same Urahara Kisuke to slowly get destroyed by a Kido spell he imbued her original gigai with, using her own reiatsu to drain the Hogyoku because he wanted to destroy it but couldn't. Am I still good?"**

Aizen nodded once more, prompting Ichigo to continue. **"Once you get it out, you'll signal for a retrieval via Negacion, in the event that you can't get out on your own. I'm to come with you at that point, shedding my reigigai to show my current form and let them know that I'm the same hollow that kicked their asses before and that I've evolved, just to instill more fear. Then, when it's all over, you'll give me a boost with the Hogyoku and we'll start building an army. Did I get everything?"**

Aizen smiled at him, nodding for the final time. "Yes you did, Kurosaki-kun. I'll leave the details of what to do up to you when you enter soul society, but I do believe you know the ones going in. This'll be much easier than you expect, if you act properly. Don't expect us to aid you, though. We must act as if we are your enemies." Aizen's somewhat hidden message was plain as day to Ichigo, though he hadn't seen the sun in over a year. _"We'll kill you if need be."_ Gin, who was nearby, nodded cheerily.

After a few moments of silence, Ichigo took a deep breath, **_'Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.'_** With a sigh, Ichigo was the one to nod. **"Fine, fine. Let's just get this over with. How long should this shit take?"**

The smile returned. "A week after you enter. I control central 46, which is the law of soul society during peaceful times as these, so I can move up the execution date, which is currently set to be 2 weeks from now. I must keep it realistic, unfortunately, else someone may get suspicious."

As he nodded, Ichigo wondered just what the hell he was getting himself into. **_'There are 10 Taichos who will fuck me up if they get the chance, at least 2 who might have a grudge, then that Madarame guy, that pretty boy, Yumichika, and the big-tittied babe, Matsumoto something or other, none of which were all too easy, even if they weren't Taichos. That's not even putting any other Taichos into play.'_** Sighing, Ichigo looked back at his companions. **"Any of you wanna take this one?"** Starrk shooed him off, Lilynette looked uneasy, and Ulqiorra was staring at him unblinkingly, though she shook her head anyway.

Sighing once more, Ichigo just told Aizen to get the thing, but the man just pulled out a purple pill. Owlishly blinking his eyes, as he had his mask hanging on the side of his face, Ichigo just asked, **"The fuck is that?"**

Chuckling, Aizen explained. "This, Kurosaki-kun, is a reigigai. You ingest it and it allows you to change the look of your spirit body, which is normally restricted." Ichigo eyed the pill warily, but took it anyway.

After swallowing it, Aizen had told him just to imagine the shape he wanted to take. Following his instruction, he imagined his normal body, in terms of skin tone and hollow hole. He forget the tattoos and such, but didn't mind much. It didn't take long for it to start working, but when it began, Ichigo felt it.

It felt like his body was covered in a shell of sorts, pressing down on him in a not too comfortable way. It took a good bit of will power not to rub the purple covering that appeared on his skin to try and alleviate the feeling, but after a few seconds, it was over.

Looking himself over, he saw that his skin was back to a human shade and his reiatsu felt less... volatile, though, at the same time, it wasn't as potent. Looking down, he saw that his flaming reiatsu hakama pants had become... hakama pants, with the rest of a Shinigami's uniform hanging at the sides. His actual body, similar to his previous one, was well muscled and defined, but the distinct lack his hollow hole was odd to him. He did still have the markings. All except one, that is, or at least he couldn't see it. In place of his chain tattoo, there were white bandages wrapped up both arms, covering up to his palm, but leaving his fingers.

Bringing his gaze back up to Aizen, he saw the man already walking into a Garganta, heading back to Soul Society. "Uh, how do I make one of those?" he asked, noting his much clearer voice.

Aizen, for once, looked extremely surprised. "You don't know how to make a Garganta!?" Then he just shook his head. "I forget how little time you've been a hollow, Kurosaki-kun. Just focus reiatsu into the tip of your finger, or however you intend to open it, and push it into the air. Since your a hollow in part, it should form the correct pattern naturally. Remember to use reiatsu to create a pathway, else you will get lost in the abyss between worlds. Ah yes, and please remember that you have about 2 days before they should be leaving. Good luck, Kurosaki-kun" Having finished giving information, he turned around and walked into the blackness as he had just yesterday.

Shaking his head, Ichigo looked over to his companions, finding them staring at him. "What?"

Ulqiorra was the first to speak, though it seemed like she was accidentally speaking her thoughts again. "Is this what Kurosaki-sama looked like as a human?" Ichigo looked at her strangely for the honorific, but chose not to address it at that moment.

Instead he addressed all of them. "Yes, I used to look like this, but that ain't important right now. You guys should watch out for Baraggan and Grimmjow. Maybe even Nnoitra, 'cause that guy is a nut-job. You're on speaking terms with me, and that might be all it takes to set Grimmjow off and I don't got a clue as to what goes through Baraggan's mind half the time."

After they nodded, he turned around and tried his hand at making a Garganta. Once he put a foot inside, he looked back, changing his mind on addressing the honorific situation. "Oi, Ulqiorra! Don't call me Kurosaki-sama. It makes me feel all high and mighty. I hate that feeling."

As she nodded, he entered the Garganta completely. Just before it closed, he heard her say. "Alright Ichigo-sama." He face palmed, hearing both Zangetsu cackle/chuckle at his misfortune. Shaking his head, he made his way forward, solidifying a path of reiatsu under him. It was nothing fancy, but it was at least straight and stable.

* * *

Human World

* * *

After a few seconds of walking, he reached the end, hopping out in a section of Karakura town. The grave yard. "How fitting." Looking down, he saw his own grave next to his mother, Kurosaki Masaki's. Dropping down, he looked at his grave stone. It was a light granite with a grey outline. It was rather simple, but it rested on a pedestal that read "Rest In Piece" on it's angled upward side.

He traced his hands over the inscriptions, reading it aloud. "Kurosaki Ichigo, 15. Died protecting what he loved." in a separate line, in bold, it read. "BYE."

Ichigo began to tear up a little, which was an odd feeling, as hollows couldn't cry, normally. Wiping the lone tear that went down his face, he sat in front of his gave, cross legged. _'I think now is a good time to talk, yeah?'_

Both Zangetsu nodded in his mind, dragging him in, as he didn't know how to enter freely yet.

* * *

Ichigo's Inner World

* * *

Appearing in front of his Zanpakuto spirits, Ichigo was surprised find that it was drizzling slightly. "The hell..." was his only comment, as he was still standing sideways on a building but it was raining as if gravity was normal.

Shaking his head, he looked around for both Zangetsu, finding one the black haired one standing on top of a flag pole and the Hollow leaning against it, both looking intently at him, scowling. Well, he thought it was them, at least. The previous teen was now a man in his late twenties, early thirties. He didn't have the hood anymore and stood a good 6 inches taller.

Hollow Zangetsu no longer had the mask he was wearing, even though Ichigo was on the inside. He didn't look like Ichigo either, but just had bleached skin, white hair, gold on black eyes, and a Shinigami's uniform. It was a bit unnerving to see a complete revamp of his look, but Ichigo brushed it off.

Walking up to the scowling duo, he greeted them. "'Sup!"

Zangetsu nodded in recognition, his scowl disappearing. "Hello, Ichigo. I must say that the rain isn't very pleasant in here. Can you imagine what it is like for it to rain in a world where your only company is a hollow?Sadly, we cannot just get rid of it, as it is another part of you. Do you know what it represents?"

Ichigo shook his head. Hollow Zangetsu took over, pushing off the pole to look Ichigo in the eye. **"It tells us when your being an emotional fucking pansy!"**

Zangetsu hopped down from his position on the flag pole. "As crude as his word choice is, he is correct. When your emotions are in turmoil, we know it immediately. What troubles you, Ichigo? If it is apprehension about this mission, fear not. I will lend you any power if it stops this rain." Hollow Zangetsu nodded vigorously, as he HATED the rain with a passion.

Ichigo, on the other hand, shook his head. "Sorry. I just remembered my family. I... I don't know what happened after I... died. I didn't see any of their graves, but they could be tearing themselves apart. I know Yuzu was destroyed for a long while. She cried for a month when our old goldfish died. I can barely imagine how she felt when I... you know"

Hollow Zangetsu looked at Zangetsu, gesturing for him to take this one. **_'I ain't very good at that emotion crap.'_**

Zangetsu nodded before approaching Ichigo. "Do you wish to see them, Ichigo? Let them know you are okay?"

As Ichigo nodded, the drizzling died down, and the very light rain turned into a slightly cloudy day. "Yeah, I'll do that. First, let's talk." Both Zanpakuto spirits nodded, the hollow grinning at the lack of rain.

A few internal hours later, Ichigo felt like he knew his Zanpakuto spirits rather well. He understood the concept of Zanpakuto spirits pretty well now, and how his were... different. He'd even learnt that his mom's death was what allowed him to survive being eaten by the hollow, which he was eternally grateful for. It really allowed Ichigo to fall into despair, allowing his hollow powers to manifest instead of being suppressed.

He'd also learnt much about Quincies, much more than he thought there was to know. He also knew that it was a good thing he was somewhat separate from the Arrancar and currently opposing the Shinigami, because when the time came, Zangetsu, or Ywach, as his original name was, would likely have had to kill him, something neither of them wanted.

On a more positive note, he learned about how he could get stronger. Zangetsu as he knew him was in Bankai, the fully released form of a Zanpakuto. As he was now, it was his normal/shikai state, which was weaker but less reiatsu intensive, though it really wasn't a problem for him as he could absorb reishi and revitalize his own stores of it. Speaking of which, he was currently practicing doing this passively, trying to listen to his Hollow's long list of dislikes and maintain it at the same time.

He'd also learnt that the prerequisite for bankai training was synchronization with his Zanpakuto spirits, which he easily fell into, wanting to learn about them and work with them faster than most Shinigami, who came to the realization in a harsh moment when fighting on their own strength wasn't enough.

On the down side, he learned that he'd likely have to kill and rob a low ranking Shinigami and steal their nameless sword so he could imprint them onto it. It was a pain, but Hollow Zangetsu assured him it'd be worth it.

After Hollow Zangetsu finished his list with a laugh, Ichigo got up. "Well, as nice as this is, I do have a mission to do... actually, could you train me in a few of those Quincy techniques, Zangetsu-ossan." Hollow Zangetsu's eyes widened as his mouth fell open.

His head whipped over to Zangetsu, who, to his shock, smiled at the nickname. He was shocked out of his stupor when Ichigo continued. "You too, Shiro."

Hollow Zangetsu's mouth almost hit the ground when he heard the nickname, but it may as well have gone through the building they were sitting on when he heard Zangetsu chuckle. **"YOU CAN LAUGH!?"**

Zangetsu nodded. "I have the ability, yes. And sure, Ichigo, It would be my honor to show you some of the Quincy arts. You have long since grown strong enough."

His hollow Zanpakuto spirit wasn't as willing. **"All I can really do is tell you is that the move you've been using is called the Getsuga Tenshou(Heaven Piercing Lunar Fang) and that the blade you use now eats up reiatsu and releases it in a compressed burst. The better you compress is, the more potent the blast; the way it works will never change. The real power comes in bankai, and you have to beat us both for that."** He chuckled, looking forward to that fight.

Ichigo sighed. "Alright then. Sparring partner until then? I'm a soul out there, and a soul in here, right? It should still help."

His hollow grinned. **"Now THAT I can do anytime. Kick your ass around the block anytime you want."**

Shaking his head, Ichigo looked at Zangetsu to find the old man with a small smile on his face. Smirking, he asked, "Ready, Ossan(old man)?"

To his surprise, Zangetsu shook his head. "Not yet. Quincy techniques require you to understand the theory behind them before you can use them. We'll start with the one you inherited from your mother, Blut Vene(Blood Veine)." At Ichigo's wide eyes, Zangetsu nodded. "Yes, Ichigo. Your mother was a Quincy, a pure-blood, at that. That's why you were able to manifest the technique without any training. You used it by accident when you blocked a swing from that Baraggan fellow, as it would've cut through your hand."

Ichigo was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Wait, if Kaa-san was a Quincy, how did she lose to a hollow?"

Zangetsu looked a bit guilty. "I... Another time, Ichigo. You will learn of it all in time. Just know that things happened the way they did." Ichigo didn't like it, but nodded none the less, noticing the grimace that formed on Hollow Zangetsu's face and taking as a sign to let it go for now. "Regardless, to use Blut Vene consciously, one must draw reishi from their surroundings into their blood vessels. It's not complicated in theory, but it takes immense mental fortitude to keep it at full power mid battle. Try."

Ichigo nodded, drawing on the reishi within his inner world, which was perpetually there, as its being used by him, he tried focusing on the places where he knew the direct positioning of his blood vessels, like his forearms and neck. Working from there, he pushed along, lining the ones that followed them in totality, leaving not one uncovered.

Opening his eyes, as he'd closed them to concentrate, he looked at Zangetsu, who was looking at him, impressed. "Right now, Ichigo, you are using Blut, the basis for this technique. Now, harden it as best you can." Ichigo followed his command, closing his eyes to concentrate.

He didn't even notice the deep blue pattern across his skin, nor the gesture Zangetsu gave to Hollow Zangetsu. He only acknowledged these things when Hollow Zangetsu took a swing at him with a cleaver like sword, its edge being black while the body of the sword was white and the bandages that made up the hilt were black(Ichigo's Shikai).

It'd only been a few seconds since he'd accomplished it, but he was glad he did, because when he opened his eyes, he saw Hollow Zangetsu's sword bouncing off, the hollow stumbling backwards. "WHAT THE FUCK, MAN!?"

Zangetsu ignored the outburst in favor of nodding. "Perfect Blut Vene. But, now come the part where you practice doing this mid battle. You aren't allowed to use your sword. If you would... "Shiro"." The hollow seemed to glare holes into the Quincy before sighing.

With sudden speed and ferocity, he jumped at Ichigo, bringing his sword down. The hollow cackled in glee. **"This'll be fun, Kingy."**

A few hours later, Ichigo was panting, scratched, somewhat bloody, but happy. He'd managed to use the technique well enough mid-battle to completely stop Hollow Zangetsu's strikes when he wasn't using the Getsuga Tenshou, and mostly stop them when he was. It was a drastic improvement, but who better to draw out his instinct than the embodiment of his instincts. He'd also learnt that Blut Vene could stem the flow of blood out of his wounds.

Raising a hand for his to stop, Ichigo put his hands on his knees, panting slightly. Hollow Zangetsu was also a bit tired, but he sure as hell wasn't going to call it quits before the opponent without a sword. As such, he was rather thankful Ichigo was tired out after all that. "I-I think I'm good for today. Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. You need something, just ask."

Zangetsu nodded, not bothering to point out that there wasn't really much he wanted that Ichigo could physically give him, Hollow Zangetsu of a similar mindset. "Well, we aren't done quite yet, Ichigo. Do you feel the emptiness of your reserves? Try drawing the reishi you're using for Blut into your own store of energy." Ichigo did as he was told, finding it surprisingly easy. "Don't expect it to be so easy all the time, Ichigo," Zangetsu warned, as if reading his mind... which was completely possible, now that Ichigo thought about it. "It won't be as easy with reishi that doesn't already have your signature, so you must practice this technique in the real world more often."

Ichigo nodded, feeling revitalized. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Uh, Zangetsu-ossan? How long've I been in here?"

Shaking his head, he placated Ichigo's worries. "Fear not, Ichigo. In the real world, it has only been a few minutes. You have not missed much of anything."

Sighing in relief, Ichigo gave a quick good bye to both of his soul partners before fading from his inner world. The moment he was gone, Hollow Zangetsu Stabbed his sword into the ground, leaning on it for support and letting himself pant. **"Th-that guy's a god damn powerhouse, and he hasn't mastered all his powers... fuck, I ain't becoming King this millennia."** Zangetsu laughed at the hollow.

* * *

Real World

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes, only to find his family standing in front of him, staring dumbly at the shirtless Ichigo dressed from the waist down in Shinigami clothes, the upper body part still hanging off the sides. Blinking once, then twice, then thrice, Ichigo could only face palm. "Son of a..." was all he managed to mutter before he remembered Yuzu was still there, though they didn't hear him anyway.

Sighing, he got up, stretching his legs as his family stared at him dumbly. Standing up straight, he waved. "Hey, guys."

At the sound of his voice, the dam seemed to crack. Yuzu stepped forward hesitantly. "O-Onii-chan?" Nodding reluctantly, he allowed her to launch herself at him. She was still much shorter than he was, so she cried into his stomach the whole time. She couldn't even form words with how hard she was crying.

Feeling a bit awkward, he knelt down, letting her wrap her arms around him, which he did after a moment's hesitation. While rubbing a calming circle on her back, he muttered, "Sorry. I am so sorry." All the emotion about his death, suppressed by the hunger he'd felt and eventually buried deep in his mind, was being dragged to the surface, though he didn't cry.

After a few minutes, she cried herself unconscious, which Ichigo was both grateful and sad about. Standing to his full height while holding her in his arms, he looked up to find Karin crying and shaking her head while Isshin was frozen, though tears were also streaming out of his eyes.

Walking towards them he sighed. _'I kinda wanted to avoid this...'_ Stopping in front of them both, he chuckled at them, trying to lighten the intensity of the situation. "You two look like you've seen a ghost."

That seemed to shatter any reservations Karin had as she may as well have leaped at him, crying her eyes out while trying to stop the tears and talk. In the end, she ended up crying harder the Yuzu had, falling asleep even faster.

Sighing again, he looked up to his dad. "So, Goat-face, you gonna cry on me and pass out too? I'll have to ask that you don't." His eyes hardened. "You do, however, have some explaining to do... Shinigami." Isshin was still experiencing the shock of seeing his son, alive, at least in the soul, and just nodded dumbly.

When they got back to the Kurosaki household, Ichigo noticed candles on the sidewalk, his picture in a frame held above them and flowers in a vase right below it. Looking away, he just follow Isshin inside, carrying both his sisters.

Once he'd set them down on the couch, he looked up at his dad. There was a silence that passed between them, neither of them moving until Ichigo decided to speak. "So... sho-" With surprising speed, his father closed the distance, embracing his only son.

Ichigo just let him, giving the man a hug in return, for once, not pushing his dad off. Isshin pulled back, holding him at an arm's reach. "You're really here... You're not a hollow..."

Shaking his head at that, Ichigo decided to correct his father. "I am. But I'll explain that later, AFTER you fess up about being a Shinigami."

Isshin let go of his son and squirmed a bit under his gaze. The new golden eyes were more than a little unnerving. "N-not much to say, really. I was a Shinigami before, but I lost my powers and lived here in the real world."

Ichigo stared at him for a moment, not believing that the man was being silly at a time like this. Shaking his head, he reworded his demand. "No, tell me about what happened to you. If you don't want to tell me, then don't. I'll be back anyway."

His father was quiet for a bit before writing up a quick note for Yuzu and Karin when they woke up. Popping a green pill, he was instantly standing in front of Ichigo in full Shinigami garb, his body walking itself to a chair and "going to sleep".

Blinking at the oddity, Ichigo was unprepared when his father grabbed him and disappeared in a blur of shunpo(flash step), not that Ichigo knew it was called that. When they reappeared, they were in the sky above Karakura town, making Ichigo yelp and almost fall, though he instinctively solidified reiatsu under him to prevent that.

Whipping his head around to glare at his father, he saw the man looking down at their home with an uncharacteristically serious face, making the anger he felt die down, replaced by seriousness. "Ichigo... This wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to live out a normal, happy life, get a girl friend, leave the home, settle down, age happily, and die with a smile on your face. I owed that much and all the more to your mother. I couldn't even do that much for you... Now, your a Shinigami... Hollow... something. Killed in front of your sisters by a hollow, and I was powerless to stop it."

Ichigo stepped behind him, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "I don't think it's my place to tell you whether or not it was your fault, but I don't blame you... I think we both have some explaining to do, ne?"

Isshin wiped a tear from his eye, finally turning to face his son. "Yeah. I'll go first. I was once Taicho of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13. I'd gotten a report about a mysterious hollow..." He went on to explain to Ichigo about his trip to the human world, how he fought the hollow, was injured by an unknown person, and was saved by a his mother. He then went on to explain how Urahara Kisuke saved her, telling of the hollow that resided in her from then on, held back by his Shinigami powers, preventing hi from using them.

Eventually, he got to the point where the explanation drew Isshin into his own memories, a smile forming on his face as he described Masaki to him. "She was like the sun, Ichigo. She brightened any room she entered. Everything was under her control, and I was happy to be."

Soon after, he got to her death at the hands of Grand Fisher, and how it changed the entire family. As the man started to break down slightly, Ichigo placed his hand on Isshin's shoulder again, breaking him of the trance. "Don't get all sappy on me, Goat-face."

Isshin nodded, recomposing himself and putting on a grin. "You're turn, Ichigo!"

Rolling his eyes, he began to explain what he could, as he didn't quite know all the intricacies of hollow evolution. "After that Fishbone D fucker -sorry about the language but being a Hollow tends to change you- ate me, I was in him, but not quite... assimilated, yeah. Probably because I'm part hollow. From what I can tell, the hollow latched onto my soul, and when I despaired at Kaa-san's death, it grew. Don't know for sure, but... meh, it's something.

"Anyway, he ate another hollow, which both pushed him above the power to evolve AND made him gain a taste for other hollows, so he went back to Hueco Mundo, and I'll assume you know what that is, and ate until he evolved. Changing like that is a battle of will power. I won, so I exist. I mean, they still EXIST, but they may as well not. After that whole fiasco, I beat some Shinigami Taichos, as a god damn Gillian, mind you- yeah, I'm awesome like that-, and they went back to soul society with their tails tucked between their legs. I mean, I didn't do it alone, but still.

"They left, I evolved into the next stage, Adjuchas, and they came back. This time, I DID beat them alone, but almost died, to be honest with ya."

Isshin actually interrupted him, which made Ichigo raise an eye. "Who were they?"

Shrugging, Ichigo recalled the more important names. "Uh, there was this small ice using Taicho, Hitsugaya, I think, and his Fukutaicho... uh, I don't remember, but she had a pretty nice rack, if memory serves." As he was immersed in memories, trying to recall the woman's name again, he missed his father's jaw practically fall all the way to the ground.

Isshin knew who he was talking about, but that wasn't what shocked him. _'Since when did my son admit a girl has a good pair!?'_ Composing himself, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've grown, my son. You finally understand... the amazingness of Matsumoto Rangiku's breasts."

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "You know her?"

Nodding happily, he explained. "Yup. She was my Fukutaicho when I was in the Gotei 13. Toshiro-chan, the ice guy you talked about, was my 3rd seat, but he got a bankai, so apparently he filled in for me."

Shrugging, Ichigo continued. "Well, I didn't kill either of them, though I came pretty close. Sorry about that. Anyway, there was this other captain, Kenpachi Zaraki, and his third seat, a guy named Madarame Ikkaku, and this other pretty strong guy, Yumichika, I heard he was called. Beat 'em all, sent them back after almost incinerating Madarame... again, just about incinerating Hitsugaya, and putting a few holes through Kenpachi.

"Anyway... after that, I ate and ate until I was too strong for the Menos forest, so I went to the desert above, and continued eating until I evolved. Hit Vasto Lorde at that point, but it was kinda painful. THEN, after things calmed down and I met a... friend, Ulqiorra, I beat the king of Hueco Mundo in a fight, and met this guy... "

Ichigo didn't know if he could trust his father with the information he had, so he had to confirm something first. "Do you still support the Gotei 13?"

Shaking his head, Isshin responded. "Nah. If I do go back, they'd have me either imprisoned or executed for extended stay in the human world without permission and helping a Quincy, if they found out. Gotta clear than up before I even consider it."

Ichigo nodded. "Good. Because, right now, I'm working with a rouge Shinigami, Aizen Sosuke, and his two allies, Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen, and they're against soul society." Isshin's eyes widened, but he said nothing. "I have nothing against them except their corrupt government. Did you know that the Shinigami who screwed up and let me die was only given a slap on the wrist, if even, and let go back to her duties? They didn't even bother putting a more competent Shinigami in her place, from what I heard, as it would be an insult to a noble family. Don't know which one, don't care. All they did was send in one more.

"Right now, I'm on a mission to infiltrate soul society with this group of Ryoka, I think Aizen called them. They're trying to retrieve someone. I couldn't be bothered to care, really, but she has something hidden inside her soul by this Urahara dude, and Aizen needs it before he leaves Soul Society."

Isshin was quiet for a moment. "You shouldn't get involved with him, Ichigo. He's bad news."

Nodding, Ichigo responded. "If you mean Aizen, I know, but he can't to fool me with his illusions, so I can keep an eye on him. Besides, he promised me that I could come back to you guys."

Suspicion bloomed in Isshin's eyes, and he was unable to hold his tongue. "Illusions? But Aizen's Zanpakuto is water type... oh crap."

"Yup," Ichigo confirmed, seeing the realization bloom across his dad's face. "If you've seen his sword, you're under his spell. I figure it wears off after a while, though, so you MIGHT be fine. Fuck that power, though. I call life hacks."

Isshin just stared at his son for a little, before sighing. "Just be safe, Ichigo. The Gotei 13 are not enemies you want to have. I won't stop you if this is the path you wish to take. I know you won't hurt the innocent."

Biting his tongue, Ichigo nodded, though the initial stiffness of the gesture caught his father's eye. Ichigo knew himself well enough to know that, if it came down to it, he might. Neither said a word about it, prompting Ichigo to end the conversation before it delved too deep. "Why don't we just go back to the house? I'd love to talk to my sisters after so long." Isshin sighed, but nodded, going to grab the still tense Ichigo but failed when his arm was grabbed and twisted behind his back, hands placed at his jugular as if they were clawed.

Blinking, Ichigo released his father. "Sorry. Was a bit tense from... thinking about my mission..."

Isshin nodded, but rubbed his shoulder, wincing slightly before he put a big grin on. "At least your your reflexes haven't dulled, Ichigo!" At the roll of Ichigo's eyes, Isshin laughed sadly, remembering how they used to be as he grabbed his son's shoulder, taking them both to the house in a blur of shunpo.

When they arrived, Karin and Yuzu had already woken up and began to tear up, thinking it was all a dream. Appearing behind them, Isshin put a finger in front of his mouth, signalling Ichigo to be quiet. Then he put his hands around his daughters' shoulders. "Don't worry, girls. You'll be able to see him soon."

Yuzu's eyes widened, but Karin was the one to say something. "What!? Are we gonna die soon!?"

Isshin shook his head, subtly gesturing for Ichigo to show himself during the gesture. Stepping in front of them without them noticing, as they were staring up at Isshin, he cleared his throat. "No, because I'm right here."

An hour later, Ichigo was going through the door, a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't tell his sisters what he was doing, nor of the world he was a part of. He refused to drag them into his world, if even only through knowledge of it, so he lied, which was still pretty bad when it came to his family.

Shaking his head, Ichigo stretched out his reiatsu and did the best he could to search for the other Shinigami posted in the city. "May as well get that random ass Shinigami's sword. Hope they haven't already imprinted their soul on it, else Imma have to do this when I get in."

The whole time he'd been muttering to himself, he'd been searching. Sadly, he was never the best at sensing, but the fact that he could barely feel the Shinigami when he pinpointed their reiatsu was a good sign; normally, a weak Shinigami wouldn't have gotten very far in the process, logically.

In a blur of his slower than usual sonido, due to the lack of hollow reiatsu he had access to, he made his way to the signature. Appearing behind them, as they stood on a roof, he grabbed the afro-bearing Shinigami in a headlock, slowly choking him out. "Sorry about this," he whispered in the man's ear, somewhat meaning it. "But, I need that asauichi and can't let you live to tell about this. You're just unlucky."

As the man slowly stopped struggling, Ichigo made a split second decision and just snapped his neck. He wasn't in the mood for a long, drawn out death. Picking up the man's sword, he looked down at the dead man, then knelt down beside him. Closing the man's eyes, he murmured, "Rest in piece." He didn't mind that the man was already technically dead. He just felt that it was right.

Getting up with a sigh, Ichigo looked at the sword, wondering what to do. _'Uh, Shiro?'_ At his nickname for Hollow Zangetsu, he heard a growl in his head, but ignored it. _'What now?'_

 ** _'Just push as much power as you can into the thing, jackass. You have enough reiatsu to do this in one go. Others work on this, as the drain of doing it in a single go would kill anyone without as much reiatsu as a pretty strong captain.'_**

As slightly skeptical as he was, Ichigo did just that. He felt a significant drain on his power after a while, but kept pushing on, trusting the words of his Zanpakuto. Suddenly, the bandages on his arms began to disintegrate into particles, the left one red while the right was blue. Neither set dissipated after they left his arms though. Rather, they flew to the sword, seemingly fighting another presence Ichigo couldn't see or feel for half a second before bonding to the blade, sinking into it.

He felt the drain on his reiatsu spike, making him gasp, sweat pouring down his brow. Next to the sword he was holding in his left hand, a slightly smaller one seemed to fade into existence, though it was slightly shorter. In the end, he remembered, from his distant classes, that this was a daisho pair, one being a daito(long sword) while the other was a shoto(short sword). Specifically, the longer one was a katana while the shorter was an o-wakizashi.

Grabbing it with his left arm once it was solid, he felt the drain on his reiatsu stop. As he examined the two blades, he heard both Zangetsu in his head compliment the blades. He then saw the two sheathes that were on the ground. "Huh. Well ain't that convenient."

He sheathed both blades, putting the shorter one horizontally behind his back facing his right and the other right below it, hanging on the right side. He mostly hid the shorter blade under the top part of his hakama, which he left down.

After he finished tying the strings of the sheathes, he sensed around for any above average reiatsu signatures. In the end, he found 2 groups of... humans? One felt somewhat hollow like, but distinctly different, another felt like an animal trying to pose as a shinigami, or maybe the other way around, that felt like the masked Shinigami that he had to kill a while back(the Onmitsukido that were sent after him), and the last felt human but far stronger than it should've been.

Two others felt like Shinigami trying to pose as humans, along with two humans who were much stronger than they should've been. Shaking his head at the oddity of both groups, he took his time getting to the most shinigami filled one, making up a story for them with the help of both Zangetsu. They'd likely have, or at least know where Urahara was.

Arriving in a buzz of sonido in front of a candy shop. Looking around before shrugging, he stepped up to the shop opening up the door. "Uh, hello?" There was no one around, so he just followed the reiatsu until he got to the back of the shop.

He found a hatch that was opened, a decently bright light below blocking his vision. Sighing, he jumped down, hoping he wouldn't be lead on a wild goose chase. It was a relief when the group he'd felt was sitting there in front of a portal.

The moment he landed, everyone there turn to face him, though whether it was because of the sound or his reiatsu, he wasn't sure. Looking over the group, he saw that there was a slightly tanned man with cornrowed, black hair with a mustache and glasses in an apron, a red-headed boy, a black-haired girl, and a blonde man in a green and white striped hat wearing clogs.

After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth to speak at the exact same time as the red-head. "So..." He couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the synchronization of the act. Shaking his head, he began speaking again, this time before the kid could start again. "So, is one of you the one called Urahara Kisuke?"

The two kids tensed slightly, but the other two just stared at him. The hat wearing one with a cane looked at him calmly before pulling a fan out of no where and hiding his mouth behind it. "That would be me!" he said in a playful voice.

Nodding, Ichigo responded. "Thanks for not making this difficult. Just wanted to talk about somethin'."

Urahara snapped his fan closed as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Ichigo affirmed before Zangetsu told him that he was being a bit rude. "How rude of me." Bowing in an overly exaggerated manner in an attempt to annoy Zangetsu, though it was a fruitless endeavor, he introduced himself. "The name's Kurosaki Ichigo." At the confirmation of their fears, both Urahara and Tessai widened their eyes slightly. "Nice to meet ya."

Urahara chuckled as Tessai played along, trying not to alert the kids that anything was wrong. Rushing up to him, he bowed in front of Ichigo. "Wonderful! So rare to meet one so young yet polite. It's a pleasure to meet you Ichigo-san! My name is Tessai Tsukabishi." He got up from his soldier-like bow with surprising speed, shaking Ichigo's hand.

Blinking a few times, Ichigo was stunned silent for a moment by the enthusiastic response. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Nice to meet you, Tessai. Nice room you have down here." The man was about to cry tears of joy at his response to the underground room he'd worked so hard on, but Urahara interrupted.

"Ah, Tessai-san? I believe Kurosaki-san came here to discuss something, no?"

Ichigo nodded, his becoming somewhat serious. "Yeah. I... actually, Urahara-san, could we discuss this in private. I see you're a bit busy, but it won't take long."

Urahara, for a split second, looked at him with serious eyes, agreeing that they needed to talk. Then, he laughed behind his fan again. "Maa, maa. Don't worry about it; I was looking for an excuse to take a break anyway."

After they'd moved a distance away, they stopped, and Ichigo noticed Urahara staring at him. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Ichigo finally asked about it. "What? I got something on my face or somethin'?"

Urahara shook his head. Instead, he spoke in a final tone, stating what was the truth in his mind. "You are supposed to be dead. No, gone, assimilated into a hollow."

Sighing as he rubbed his neck, Ichigo prepared to do some explaining before he realized he was talking to a complete stranger. He blinked twice before addressing him. "You know me? Or did Goat-face tell you about me?" Urahara blinked at him for a moment. "Oh, my dad, Isshin."

Urahara decided to be truthful, something a bit rare with him. "Yes and no. You're father did tell me about you, but I've been keeping tabs on you myself, checking in every once in a while." Ichigo's eyes showed suspicion, prompting him to raise his hands placatingly. "Maa, maa. Don't be mad. I assume you know about your mother, yes?" Ichigo nodded. "Well, I was trying to make sure nothing too bad happened to you because of her condition. You know, make sure you didn't turn into a hollow in the middle of the street or anything."

Ichigo stared at the man for a while. "Fine. Now, can we just move on?"

Urahara shook his head. "I can't pass up this chance. How did you come back?"

Groaning, Ichigo asked Zangetsu if he should tell him. Getting a response, he chose to tell the apparent scientist SOMETHING to sate his curiosity. "I'm part hollow from Kaa-san, got eaten by a hollow, the hollow part stopping me from being completely absorbed, and the hollow evolved. Gillian evolution, if you didn't know, is a battle of wills. I won, so I'm here, but I have natural shinigami powers, so once I hit Vasto Lorde, I regained a mostly human look. Now, can we move on!?"

Urahara could tell he skimmed over quite a few things, but agreed. "Fine, but only if you agree to tell me more another time."

With a roll of his eyes, Ichigo put the apparently recurring subject behind him. "Okay, don't ask how I know this, cuz that's a secret I'm not willing to reveal. I know that some humans are trying to get into soul society to get Kuchiki back, and I want in. I got my reasons."

Getting a suspicious look from Urahara, he continued. "Look, if you're trying to get by 13 Taichos that'll want them dead the second they enter, their fukutaichos, and at least a few seated officers of that strength, you'll need every bit of help you can get. I'm offering, and I doubt you'll be getting many others."

Urahara sighed, but acknowledged his point. "Fine. But you'll have to prove to them that you're strong, not me. I know how strong a Vasto Lorde can be, but they are barely aware of Gillians."

"Actually," Ichigo began, "Could you not tell them about all that." At Urahara's look, he explained. "I don't like all the questions. Let them think I got into Soul Society and became really strong quickly until I decide to tell them... if I do. As for the strength thing... you were a Taicho, yeah?" Urahara nodded. "Just spar with me in front of them, then tell them that you used to be a Taicho." The simplicity of the plan made Urahara pout slightly, but he agreed anyway.

After including Tessai, they hashed out the details for a few minutes before they decided that they'd done enough. Urahara and Tessai went back to finishing up the reishi henkanki.

They said Ichigo could train there if he wanted, though he felt like they just wanted an opportunity to study him. Taking the opportunity anyway, he sat down on a rock and began to talk with his Zanpakuto spirits. _'You guys think I could get to that whole bankai thing by the end of today?'_

He could feel that the answer was a no, but Hollow Zangetsu just HAD to be vocal about it. _**'Sure! Why don't I just pull fully mastered Quincy powers out of Old Man Shades' ass and give them to you as well.'**_ He could also feel the glare that was exchanged between the two. **_'Got a problem!?'_**

Not wanting to deal with the oncoming argument, he just tuned them out the best he could and tried experimenting with the _the new move... well, newly named move. He drew both his swords, holding them to the side. 'Well, damn. I woulda thought I'd have to get used to this, but they feel... natural.'_ Shaking his head, he wondered if he could do the Getsuga Tenshou(Heaven Shocking Lunar Fang) without releasing his sword.

His ever helpful partner, H. Zangetsu, decided to answer the question before he even tried. **_'Not right now, you can't. Also, it's called shikai, the initial release.'_** Ichigo didn't even bother asking how he knew that. His answer would likely be filled with complete bull.

Shaking his head, he just asked how to actually release the swords. _'That Ikkaku guy said a command, along with his partner's name. You guys have a command?'_

Surprisingly, it was "Ossan" that answered. And he sounded just a bit sheepish. _'Yes we do. And we won't tell you it.'_ Just as Ichigo went to complain, he continued. _'It's not because we don't trust you or anything of that sort. The phrase-'_

He was cut off by H. Zangetsu. **_'Phrase!? That thing is a fucking story! I mean, it's cool, but ain't NOBODY gonna take the time to say that shit in the middle of a god damned fight!'_** Ichigo got the feeling that it was a good thing they didn't tell him after that outburst. **_'Just call out our name. NOT the fucking nicknames, though, you asshat!'_** In the background, Zangetsu laughed, eliciting another argument... well, another round of H. Zangetsu shouting and getting an overly calm and angering response.

"This is my life...," Ichigo muttered before calling out his spirit's name. "ZANGETSU!" The two swords morphed into huge, cleaver-like blades, though one was still a bit longer than the other. The blades had a gold hilt, but they had bandages wrapped around the handle that continued up Ichigo's arms, stopping when it neared his elbows. The larger blade was curved, the lower edge reaching back and covering part of the hilt and majority black, though the edge was a shining silver. It's bandages were white. The shorter one was an identical copy in form, but it was majority white, the edge being a deep black, as were the bandages on it. (A/N: Ichigo's full-bring shikai, but the handle is bandaged.)

He looked down at his blades, inspecting them. "Well, damn. Giant-ass swords are giant." He felt a tremor in the ground, unaware that it was Urahara face-planting at the statement. Shaking his head at the odd acts, he just said, "Fuck it, I guess I'll try it out."

Raising both swords to the side, holding them at an angle to the ground. "Getsuga... TENSHOU!" Bringing them down in an X shape, he just pumped reiatsu into them, making the black bandaged one glow a light red as it fell and the white bandaged one glow a light blue. When their paths had ended, an X-shaped wave of energy flew from the swords, slamming into the boulder he was facing with unholy force, tearing through it in an instant.

There was silence as Ichigo, and his hidden audience observed the damage. There were trenches where his blasts had traveled, getting wider from his position. The boulder was... gone, as was much if the ground behind it. Ichigo didn't know if there were any other boulders behind that one before, but they sure as hell weren't there now.

Ichigo broke the silence, surprisingly frowning. "I didn't have an ounce of control over that."

 ** _'Hey Kingy?'_** Ichigo blinked at the sudden intrusion, but let him continue. **_'Lemme drop some wisdom on ya... First, the Gestuga Tenshou works by compressing reiatsu. The better you compress it, the stronger it is. Also, the longer we're in motion, the more time you have to build up power. Do what you want with that shit. Now, the second, and more important, one. DON'T USE SO MUCH FUCKING REIATSU! I could feel my blade shaking to try and contain that much! You wanna fire off THOSE like nobody's business? Use your own god damned body!'_**

He was, surprisingly, used to the Zanpakuto spirit being angry all the time, so he didn't react much to that, only agreeing to be more careful, but what really caught his attention was the "use his own body" part. _'I can do that!?'_

Scoffing, H. Zangetsu responded. **_'You were already doin' it as a Vasto Lorde, Arrancar, thing. Whatever the fuck we were. It was all around your arms, remember?'_**

Ignoring the tone, he thought back to when he fought Baraggan. _'Huh. Would ya look at that.'_ Then a though came to him. _'I kept that around my arms... could I do that with Zangetsu...s?'_ A devious smile made its way onto his face. _'So much to experiment with, so little time. Guess I'll try hand to hand first. More used to that, anyway.'_ As if in reaction to his will, the swords dispersed into reiatsu that flew into the bandages.

"Huh. I don't know why I'm even surprised anymore."

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A/N: Okay, so I was gonna make this chapter much longer, but I was more interested in splitting them up into intervals of the Soul Society invasion arc. So... this is more of a prologue. As for the theories shown in this chapter, well, I guess it's explaining time.

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 **Warning: Super Nerding-Out Ahead. Skipping Recommended. Warning Delivered.**

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No Zanpakuto has been awakened without an Asauichi. That's how it's SUPPOSED to be. Ichigo only got around this because his Shinigami powers and hollow powers were, well, tied together. He became a hollow, so the Shinigami powers followed, growing together. Since it was really the hollow powers doing the growing, the Shinigami part was kinda tied to it, meaning that he could only use shikai as a adjuchas, if he knew about it, and only gained access to that bankai due to his evolution.

The problem here is that his Shinigami powers came about in an unnatural way, more or less forced to keep up. So, all that progress had to be transferred into an Asauichi. Sadly, it wasn't like the Gotei 13 would just hand him one, so he had to steal one, like Zaraki. The presence was the slowly imprinting Zanpakuto spirit of the other Shinigami, so he had to kick that out to put his already developed/developing one.

Once that happened, some changed occurred, partially due to the Asauichi presence, and partially due to the lack of hollow reiatsu, letting the Shinigami powers shine through(I planned this shit out, I tell you). Due to the way things began, along with the presence of Ywach's soul shard - which I have a whole OTHER theory on, though I may not include it in this story - there is a sense of malleability with his Zanpakuto that is uncommon in others. His main is compression of power. So, first his big ass sword. Then, while still in shikai, there is compressing all the power through his own body, which is his shikai's power. Won't spoil the limits and powers of bankai though.

Now, onto Inner hollow theories and such. The hollow that latched onto Masaki's soul was passed onto Ichigo, who was born with Shinigami powers, making him the first natural born Arrancar/Vizard(an alive one, at that). If anything, he is the perfect mix, beating Aizen to that "transcendent being" status from the get-go. He also gets a shard of Ywach from being part Quincy, then boom, mixing all three.

The hollow was subdued by Isshin's power, even if it left Masaki's body, due to Urahara's spell, but, when Ichigo felt true despair at his mother's death -and remember this piece of info for a later power- the hollow was able to, as cheesy as this sounds, awaken, as giving into despair is a sure fire way to turn a plus into a hollow. Well, it's Ichigo's soul, and, as the son of both a Shinigami and Quincy, he's pretty much destined to interact on a spiritual level, using his soul. Despairing when you may as well be a plus in a living gigai is pretty much asking for hollowfication.

The spell Urahara used, in my opinion, didn't break, it just moved onto the most ready source of Shinigami reiatsu, binding the hollow and shinigami halves together in an unforeseen way: permanently.

Make sure you follow me now. Ichigo started out with his own Shinigami powers, a hollow leech that tried to escape to his soul, and a shard of Ywach buried in him. The hollow got bound to him through a failed subjection by Urahara's spell, because I don't see how it can just assimilate like that. Now, with that as, well, him, it was his Shinigami-Hollow Hybrid of a Zanpakuto spirit and Ywach left inside him.

That became a part of him as well by being eaten. The whole not-being-assimilated-but-rather-becoming-a-part-of-Zangetsu thing came about because of the fact that he was still, well, alive. If any other soul had managed to get in, somehow, the same would've happened, but I didn't want him to be too OP.

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 **Super Nerd-Out Over. Reading May Resume in 3... 2... 1...**

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Whoa. I had to get all that out. If you read that... wow, good job. If not, I don't blame you. Seriously, though, I love bleach, but there is so much that could be done with little tidbits of information that they neglect to follow up on. They just leave the spell on Isshin's powers alone, never bring THAT shit up again. Seriously, how would it become a PART of his Zanpakuto spirit!? They give us nothing for that, just say it and move on. You don't know how much small shit I pick up on. I could make a mountain of AU's on how bleach could turn out, and still only go through half my ideas. Well, let's see how much I can fit in this story.

Also, tell me what you want me to call the white Zangetsu and the shade-wearing one. Seriously, H. Zangetsu seems a bit boring, but I don't wanna just call him Shiro, as it's a bit cliche. I mean, I could just call him Kuro, because Ichigo is great at naming. Ha! Oh wait, that means I'm bad at naming... shit.

Whatever. I'll work on my naming skills while I write the next chapter. You guys just have to read it. Or not. Still haven't gained the power to force people to do what I want. Workin' on it, though. Until then, I will respectfully ask you to keep reading. Just you wait, though. Soon, you will have no choice but to read my stories!... Because I'll get that good at this, eventually. What did you think I was implying. I just wanted the power for free living, no bills or anything.


	4. Jumping in Head-First

A/N: Hello ladies, gentlemen, and those of unspecified gender. I'm back! And better than ever!... Actually, nothing has changed, except me aging a few days. Well, maybe those extra days will let me put out a good chapter.

Anyway, I want to know if you guys would like me to put up a list of all used moves in a chapter at the top/bottom, just for reference and so you know what it does, in the even my description is insufficient. I'm also scrapping the underlining of techniques, because it's getting annoying. Don't know why, but it is. Anyway, tell me what you think about the idea and enjoy the chapter! I mean, if you wanna. You could just leave right now. I'll ask that you leave afterwards, though.

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Urahara stood in front of the group of teenagers... and a cat. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't too sure they could've taken on Soul Society before. A single taicho, or even fukutaicho, could wipe out the whole group as they were when he first saw them, even with their limiters on.

Now, he thought they had a decent chance. Inoue had enough resolve to at least use her powers, Sado could fire off a few shots before he was tired, and they had actual power behind them, the kind that could pose a threat to a taicho, and, last but certainly not least, Ishida, while not explicitly showing any of his powers, had the air of confidence to him that made one want to give him a shot. He also had a new glove.

Banishing all thoughts of uncertainty from his mind, he looked to Yoruichi, their cat guide for their trip into the afterlife. He raised a brow at her ever so slightly, imperceptible to everyone else but clear as day to the previous Onmitsukido leader. A light nod was his response, making him sigh in relief. If Yoruichi thought they had at least a chance, then he'd put some faith in them.

Throwing his gaze back to the teens, he tapped his cane on the ground, flaring his reiatsu in a pattern to activate the reishi henkanki(spirit particle converter). A square covered in what seemed to be bandages formed seemingly out of nothing.

The teens, while slightly surprised at its sudden appearance, steeled themselves, ready to do this for their friend. Rukia had let Inoue's brother pass on peacefully. She'd quelled some of Ishida's bias to Shinigami, letting him live far more peacefully. She was there when Ichigo died, trying to protect him, and that was enough for Sado.

But, just when they thought it was time, Urahara raised a hand to them. "Before you go, I wish to say some things." He was uncharacteristically serious compared to the joking store owner they usually saw, but, then again, they were all serious. "There are 13 taichos who make Abarai Renji, the fukutaicho who almost killed you, Ishida, look like a baby. There are 12 other fukutaichos there, with fukutaicho strength people in seated officer position for their own reasons. There are unseated officers who are strong enough to be ranked, if not fukutaichos on their own." With each word, it felt like they were facing an almost impossible challenge.

But that didn't stop Urahara from telling them. In his eyes, he was ending children to their death, with only their wit and meager strength to keep them alive. He had to make sure they knew what they wanted. "That's before the Onmitsukido, who are the special ops of Soul Society, and the violent and power wielding souls outside of the Seireitei(court of pure souls), within the Rukongai districts. I don't want to scare you, but you need to understand what you are jumping into, and what could happen." They each rethought their decisions, reevaluated their reasons, then steeled their resolve.

Urahara nodded after they did. "Good. Then I've found you some serious help." His playful voice returned at this point. "Oh Kuuuuuurrrrroooo-kuuuu-"

Ichigo appeared next to him in a buzz of sonido, smacking him upside the head. "Don't call me that..." Taking a moment to look Urahara over and find a quick, annoying nickname, Ichigo continued, "Geta-boshi(hat 'n' clogs, pretty much)."

Chuckling, Urahara put his fan in front of his face. "I don't mind that one, so I guess I'll keep calling you Kuro-kun, Kuro-kun."

At Ichigo's growl, he couldn't help but laugh, the same going for Ichigo's Zanpakuto spirits. Sighing, Ichigo brushed it off. When he looked up at his school friends, he wasn't surprised to see them staring at him like they'd seen a ghost. "'Sup." Inoue was stuck staring at him, copious amounts of tears flowing from her eyes, and Sado was of a similar state. Ishida was just surprised to even see him again.

The first person to speak was Yoruichi. "I thought you were serious, Urahara! How can this child be of as much help as you claim!"

Ichigo was the one to respond to that, feeling a bit offended. "Oi! I ain't weak, you... baka-neko!" Yoruichi blinked in surprise. Normally, that wasn't a person's reaction to a talking cat. Ichigo used the lack of response as a chance to continue, pointing at her with a vein bulging on his forehead. "Yeah, I said it! I don't give a damn if you're a talking cat!"

Yoruichi just narrowed her eyes at that, jumping up at him with shunpo, attempting to slash his cheek. Ichigo saw it coming and jerked his head to the side before turning around and grabbing her tail. "HA! Not so high and mighty now, eh!?" He didn't notice that she was shocked stiff that she was both dodged AND caught, even if she was in her cat form.

When the shock wore off, she got angry at the fact that he was still holding her and laughing. "Let go of my tail!" She began to claw at his forearm, slashing wildly. Surprisingly, not one of the strikes made it through, not even breaking the surface.

Even Ichigo was a bit surprised, though he didn't show it. _'I guess I still have some part of my hiero left. Savin' that for later.'_ He only laughed harder, though the slight anger was still there. "That tickles." Bringing her up to his face by the tail, he began to taunt her a little. "Not sure why YOU are going. I caught you so easi-" He was interrupted by a swipe to his eyes, which DID get through, making him drop her and grab his face. "Ah! Fuck! Shit! Fuckin' shit!"

Yoruichi stalked back to her place next to Inoue, glaring at him. "Maybe he's a little faster than I thought, but that proves nothing. He's an arrogant child with too much power for his own good. Besides, you should have Tessai heal his eyes. Won't be of much use to us blind."

To her surprise, Ichigo got up, holding his eyes, which were steaming, before blinking a few times. When he finally opened then, he revealed completely fine eyes. Which he used to glare at the cat. "Dick move... but well played. I'll give you that one."

Inoue's voice broke through everything at that point. "K-Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo looked at her feigning confusion, though on the inside, he winced. _'Now or never, I guess.'_ He shook his head after a moment. "You must be thinking of someone else. The name's Kushanade Ichiro. Nice to meet ya." He gave a small smile, though on the inside he wasn't smiling when he saw her deflate, almost going in on herself. _'Didn't think my death hit ANYONE at school that hard.'_ Sado wasn't convinced, though he kept his mouth shut. Ishida was just staring with a calculating look.

Ichigo looked at Urahara after that, opting not to look at them too long. "We ready yet?"

Ishida was the one to respond to the question that obviously wasn't directed at him. "Are you strong? We don't know a thing about you, and you wish to fight with us?" He pushed his glasses up. "It would not be very wise to go in like this."

Glancing at each other, Urahara and Ichigo nodded. Clearing his through, Ichigo pushed his hair back, as some had gotten in front of his shoulders. "If you want to get to know me as a person, we can do that AFTER... maybe. You wanna know how I fight? Let me spar with Geta-boshi here. He used to be a taicho in the Gotei 13." They looked surprised, so Ichigo kept going, feigning disbelief, in his next response. "What, he didn't tell you?" He shook his head in a disapproving manner at Urahara. "That's not a MINOR detail, Geta-boshi." Looking back to them, he continued. "Well, now you know. So just watch. We'll keep it slow so you guys can actually see what we're doing." While he said it teasingly, he actually meant it, as he felt his full speed, even in that body, was beyond any of their abilities to track. _'Except maybe the cat. She was pretty fast.'_

Both he and Urahara disappeared in blurs, his leaving a dull buzz in its wake while Urahara's was accompanied by a whoosh of air. Urahara spoke first. "We'll keep it simple. Just knock my hat off my he-" Before he could finish, a blast of red and white, rather similar to a cero, flew over his head, the resulting wind blowing it off. It was a nameless Getsuga Ichigo had shot from his arm in more of a spear form that the usual slash. "Okay, land a blow, then."

Ichigo nodded at that one. "ZANGETSU!" Since Urahara didn't draw any sword of sorts, he just got into his fighting stance, leaving both Zangetsu as bandages around his arms and making Sado sure he was Ichigo, as he'd fought with him too many times to mistake that for anything but Ichigo getting ready to sink his fist into someone's face.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was thinking. _'I have to learn how a shinigami fights so I don't look too out of place. Hope geta-boshi hasn't gotten too rusty, 'cause I need a subject.'_ Disappearing in a blur of sonido, he appeared above Urahara, his left fist glowing blue. Bringing it down where Urahara was, he was surprised to find that the man was gone in an instant in a blur of shunpo. His strike, instead, created a large crater.

Instead of getting out of it with a single use of sonido, he dashed out of it, his right arm glowing with red Getsuga. It was a surprise that neither of them had drawn their swords yet, but no one said anything about that, opting to just observe.

After a little bit of Ichigo missing, if only barely, and Urahara jumping around, they stopped, standing still. Urahara was the one to break the silence. "Aren't you gonna draw your swords, Kuro-kun?"

Ichigo responded similarly. "Aren't you, geta-boshi?"

Urahara shrugged and drew his Zanpakuto out of his cane, brandishing it at Ichigo. "You asked. Okiro, Benihime(Awaken, Crimson Princess)."

As his opponent finally had a blade drawn, he felt no qualms about using Zangetsu. Both sets of bandages flew forward in his grip, the blades forming quickly. In seconds, his dual Zanpakuto were in his hands. "Zangetsu." Finally getting a chance to try out something he'd been working on almost all of the previous night, he spun the black bandaged Zangetsu in his right hand, swinging it around by the bandages, before throwing it. Following the blade with surprising speed, he appeared in a blur behind Urahara right as the man had dodged to the side, swinging with his white bandaged Zangetsu which had a Getsuga charged while catching the one that was dodged.

Urahara noticed the blue sheen to the blade a bit late, so, even after he jumped back, he was almost cleaved in two by the energy blade that flew out of Ichigo's Zangetsu. "NAKE! BENIHIME!" Holding his sword out hastily, he pointed the blade at the ground. In front of him, he formed a blood mist shield, saving him from receiving any damage from the attack.

When he looked behind him, he saw that, even though the blast was more condensed than the first one Ichigo had fired off the day before, it had enough on the sides to travel outwards and cut though a few boulders, taking the tops off them. Sweating slightly, Urahara nervously chuckled as he looked back to Ichigo. "I-I think they get it, Kuro-kun." Ichigo glared at him slightly for the nickname, unknowingly making him sweat even more, but nodded. In his head, Urahara was thanking every god he could think of for surviving that. _'I was nearly cut in half!'_

Dispersing his swords into their normal, purely bandaged state, he turned back to the group, not bothering to reseal Zangetsu; he'd learned that they prefer to be released. "Good enough, Ishida...-san." He cursed himself for the slip up, but was thankful that only Ishida really noticed. The other two were just staring at him in surprise.

Yoruichi was the one to say something, though. "That was a fine display. I have some questions for you at a later date, but, for now, I wish to know how you are aware of these children's names."

Smirking, as he was proud that he'd thought of that beforehand, Ichigo answered. "Urahara-san told me."

After a quick glance at Urahara, who nodded in confirmation, Yoruichi sighed before gesturing to the portal. Urahara nodded, snapping his fingers to signal Tessai. Both he and Tessai appeared next to the portal in a blur, putting a hand on the side of the portal and pushing reiatsu into it. "I hope you are all ready. Yoruichi will contact me when things are over..." His serious face was on now. "One way, or another."

They all nodded, though Ichigo was a bit nonchalant about it. If anything, he was excited, a feeling that was shared by Shiro(which I figure I should just call him, cause Hollow Zangetsu is getting annoying). _'You guys ready?'_ He only got maniacal laughter from Shiro and observing silence from Zangetsu-ossan in return.

Once they were in the portal, they appeared in a long tunnel of sorts, with flowing, purple walls and little light, though there was a light at the end of the tunnel(Ha!). Yoruichi suddenly cursed, a rumble in the floor accompanying it. "Run for the light!" Following her orders, they began sprinting for the light. Well, jogging, in Ichigo's and Yoruichi's case. It was a good thing, too, as a large, purple, monstrous train came out of the darkness behind them.

Ichigo looked back and whistled. "Daaaamn!"

None of the other bipedals responded, though Ishida shared his sentiments. Yoruichi, on the other hand, shouted, "IF YOUR RELAXED ENOUGH TO COMMENT, START FOCUSING ON RUNNING!"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo looked at the group, who were starting to lag behind him. In his mind, he heard Zangetsu-ossan give him some advice. _'Grab the girl and the big one, and tell the Quincy child to use Hirenkyaku (Flying Screen Leg) to keep up! He will know what it is. The cat is definitely able to go fast enough.'_ The urgency in his voice made him do it without even thinking about it.

Grabbing Inoue and Sado by the waist and shoulder respectively, he looked over to Ishida. "Oi, Quincy! Use your Hirenkyaku to keep up!" In the same second, he looked to Yoruichi. "Keep up." With that, he was gone in a buzz, taking Sado and Inoue with him.

Despite the surprise that he knew about it, Ishida followed orders, feeling compelled to from the sheer authority in his voice. Having all the rest go forwards, Yoruichi just shunpo-ed to the end, getting there a second after Ichigo, but a millisecond before Ishida.

When they landed in the middle of a street, Yoruichi looked Ichigo over in a new light. After a moment's silence, in which Ichigo noticed the stare, she commented. "Not bad. You have a good head on your shoulders to think of that in such a situation." In her head she added, _'He was so fast, too. Who is this child?'_

Ichigo just shrugged. "Thanks." That's when he noticed that Sado had dropped to a knee and Inoue was a bit shaky on her feet(she's not as tall, so it isn't as bad for her). He rubbed the back of his neck, apologizing. "Hehe, sorry about that."

For a little, they stayed there, letting the two regain their bearings. After they were okay, they got up and looked around, finding the streets completely empty. Ichigo took the moment to do a quick sweep, finding two things. One, all the souls were hiding, for whatever reason, and the world around him was filled with reishi. He couldn't help but smile as he began to draw a small trickle of it in, attempting to keep it up for as long as possible.

When he felt the Shinigami towards the better looking buildings in the distance, he walked towards them. He didn't even flinch when walls came down in front of him, expecting SOMETHING to jump out at him ever since he felt the far-too-quiet atmosphere of the area.

He was, however, surprised when a giant of a man fell down in front of him. He was easily 30 feet, if not a bit more, with broad shoulders and muscled arms to match. His left arm wasn't covered in a Shihakusho but in a type of armor. He had a beard that was tied of at the bottom corners of his rather squared face and side burns that connected the beard with his hat covered hair.

After a moment to let the rumbling from both his and the gate's landing settle, Jidanbo's voice rang out. "Who goes there? I, Jidanbo Ikkanzaka, Keeper of the West Gate, will allow no one in without permission!"

Once Ichigo got over how cheesy the line was, though Shiro was still laughing at it, he spoke. "Kushindae Ichiro, 11th Division. Returning from hollow hunting trip two years ago in which I was left behind and almost killed. I bear important information on Kuro. REALLY important information. And these guys are a part of it. They also have some business to take care of." He said the last part while gesturing back to the others.

Jidanbo looked him over, before asking him a question. "Where is your Zanpakuto, Kushinade-san?" Ichigo just made both of them appear in his hands, answering the question. "Ah. Well, do not let me keep you." He turned around and began to life the gate, only to freeze when he saw Ichimaru Gin behind it.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, feeling something was off. He was proven correct when Ichimaru began speaking. "Heya, Jidanbo. What do ya think yer doin' there?"

"Ah, Ichimaru-taicho. I was only opening the gate for this young Shinigami and some apparently important guests he has." Jidanbo was apparently beginning to feel the vibe Ichimaru was giving off, because he began sweating, even though he had no clue why.

"Tsk, tsk, Jidanbo-kun," Gin admonished, making Ichigo glare at him. "Ya need to think these things through a bit better." At Jidanbo's look, he continued. "If he got here, without a Jigokuchu(hell butterfly) or anything, AND brought some guests, he had to have had a bit o' help. The only person I can think of that could help him is Urahara Kisuke, and he's a criminal. You know we don't like those who deal with criminals, right?"

Jidanbo began shaking slightly. "I'm sure he had no choice if he wanted to return, right?"

"Sadly," Gin responded in a voice that showed no remorse, "that don't make a difference. If we don't uphold the law..." A single eye opened on Gin's face as his smile broadened. "Who will?" He moved to turn around, but stopped halfway, his cloak disguising his movements when he drew his sword and pointed it at Jidanbo. "And you just broke a law, Jidanbo. Criminal Sympathizing. Ikorose, Shinso(Shoot to kill, God Spear)."

A flash of metal happened as the spear came through the gate almost stabbing Jidanbo in the heart. Ichigo was having none of that, even though he expected to get stabbed himself. Jumping in front of the blade, he crossed both Zangetsu in front of him, blocking the blade but getting pushed into Jidanbo due to underestimating the force. Unknown to him, that single act was enough for Inoue to solidify his identity in her mind.

Since he underestimated it, they broke past his guard, missing him but stabbing Jidanbo in the lung. Somehow, the giant man managed to keep the gate open, though, standing upright and gazing defiantly into Ichimaru's face. "Oh. I went an' missed. Sorry, lemme jus' go ahead an' fix that." With that, Jidanbo's arm was cut from his body faster than Ichigo could stop it, though not faster than he could curse.

With only one arm, Jidanbo began to crumple under the weight of the gate. Gin looked like he was ready to get rid of the other arm until Ichigo yelled, "Let go of the gate, Jidanbo!" Once more, his commands were followed to the letter, Jidanbo falling back as the gate fell.

Gin leaned beneath the closing gate, waving at Ichigo. "Bye, bye!"

 _'I swear to fuck I am shoving a cero down his kami-forsaken throat when this is all over. "Criminal Sympathizing" my ass!'_ Ichigo cursed under his breath as he felt the gates hit the ground. "This is going fucking GREAT so far." Sighing, he turned to the downed Jidanbo while sealing both Zangetsu, watching the now sitting upright giant clutch the stump that was once his arm while said arm laid on the ground beside him.

Turning to his group, he nervously laughed and asked, "Am I hoping too much in wishing one of you is a healer?" Thankfully he wasn't, as Inoue was just that.

A few minutes later, Jidanbo was patched up, though it wasn't a full job as Inoue got too tired to continue. Halfway through, the citizens of the Rukongai district they were in came out and began to help with Jidanbo, though they seemed a bit wary of Ichigo, which he noticed, making him keep his distance.

When Jidanbo was able to move his arms properly, he moved to bow in front of Ichigo, going on all fours. "Th-thank you, Kushinade-san! Risking your life for one such as I! Even getting your friend to heal me!" Surprisingly, the man was crying, which made Ichigo blink in surprise. "How could I ever repay you?"

Ichigo started to squirm internally from all the eyes on him- until he fought Baraggan, there were rarely large groups to encounter, let alone live through the encounter- but put up a strong face. "Don't worry about it, Jidanbo. It was my fault anyway; wasn't right that you got hurt because of it." Once more, his own actions doomed his plans further, his word choice being what did it this time.

In his mind, Shiro laughed. **_'You're being awfully nice today, Ichigo.'_**

Ichigo only scoffed. _'Since when was I mean? Only ever been bloodthirsty and blunt.'_ He could hear both of his partners chuckle at that.

He was brought out of his internal musing by Jidanbo redoubling his crying. "S-such an honorable man! And here I am, crying like a baby!" Gaining control of himself again after a moment, he smiled broadly at Ichigo. "I'm sorry about that. I could try and open the gate for you once more when my arms have healed. It's the least I could do."

Shaking his head, Ichigo explained something to the man. "If you did that, the same thing could happen. There was no way he knew that we were coming. Imagine if we ran into, say, Kaname-taicho next time? No, we'll try and figure something else out... if that's alright with you guys." They all nodded, following his logic, even if they didn't know who he was talking about.

"You are truly a great man, Kushinade-san." He once again bowed his head to Ichigo. "I wish you safety from the hounds of Seireitei, and your companions luck on their endeavor, whatever it may be."

Ichigo nodded. "Likewise."

He walked back to the group, where the first thing said came from Yoruichi. "You handled that well, Ichiro."

"Thanks," he responded, noticing that the distrust in the people's gazes had lessened but it was still there. "But where to now?"

Yoruichi was silent for a moment before answering. "I'm going to call in a favor. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." With that, she just left them. Two supernaturally powered humans, a Quincy, and a tri-breed-hybrid with absolutely nothing. Not a cent to their names nor a damn clue as to what was going on.

They stopped on the side of the street they were on, wondering what to do when Inoue's stomach grumbled, making her blush. Ichigo chuckled, making her blush increase as she thought of how Kurosaki like it sounded, once more giving her reasons to believe he was Ichigo. "It makes sense you're hungry after using so much reiatsu. Gimme a sec." He disappeared in a buzz of sonido before returning half a minute later, nothing noticeably different. "Alright, let's go get something to eat."

They made their way through the streets, the whole time each of them sending glances at Ichigo. Finally, once they'd found a small establishment, Ichigo had enough. Once they'd all sat down, he asked about it. "Okay, what is it? I know I look good, but I doubt you'd obsess over me THAT quickly."

Surprisingly, the rather quiet giant, Sado, was the first one to speak up. "I'm sure you're Ichigo."

Ishida nodded, adding onto it. "You feel exactly like him," he said before pushing up his glasses and adding, "though you feel even MORE volatile that you used to be, if that's even possible."

Inoue stayed quiet, but the way she stared at him made him feel like she could see right through him.

Shaking his head, he responded, continuing to play dumb. "I gotta say, the name does stir something, but I'm pulling a blank."

Ishida , glaring through his glasses, decided he wan't going to give up. _'If that's the way you wanna play it, Kurosaki...'_ "You're reiatsu hasn't changed signature, Kurosaki, only its stability. Your hair is a giveaway as well. Also, when you saw us, it didn't look like you were meeting a new person, more like you were greeting people you already knew. You have the same "Protect the innocent" belief, which you just expressed, and-"

He was cut off by Sado, who began to add his own two cents. "You look like Ichigo, you sound like Ichigo, you act mostly like Ichigo. You even fight like Ichigo. I would never forget you, nor mistake someone else for you, no matter how much you change. We've got each other's backs forever, remember?"

Ichigo sighed before turning to the quiet Inoue. "Anymore salt to pour on my wounds?"

Shiro's laughter skyrocketed at that statement, and even Ossan chuckled, adding his own two cents. _'You are literally asking for it at this point, Ichigo.'_ He was ignored, which made him chuckle a bit more.

Smiling brightly, Inoue just shook her head before hugging him. "Welcome back, Kurosaki-kun!" She then seemingly remembered that he was generally shirtless, from what she'd seen, and jerked back as if shocked. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Ichigo blinked, wondering what she was sorry for, making Shiro laugh hysterically, much to his confusion. _'I'll probably smack myself for not getting it later.'_ Shaking his head, he just smiled. "Well, I was found out rather quickly. I didn't even last a single day." His chuckle seemed to alleviate the tension there, though Ishida still glared at him, which he noticed. "Okay, what now!?"

Pushing up his glasses, Ishida looked him up and down. "Four questions, Kurosaki."

Ichigo nodded, leaning back and enjoying the complementary water. "Shoot."

"First," Ishida began. "how are you paying for this? Further more, how are you strong enough to block a strike from a captain already? It's only been two months since you died. From what I've learned from Rukia-san, it takes years to go through the Shinigami Academy, then more to get to point where you're at. Shikai, yes? That's for seated officers."

Ichigo blinked. "Damn. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this little Q&A." It took him a moment to register what he said. "WAIT WHAT! TWO MONTHS!" When Ishida nodded, confusion plain to see in his ever calculating eyes, Ichigo sighed. _'It was DEFINITELY not two months for me.'_ Shrugging, Ichigo brushed off his confusion and decided to just go with it, as he'd been doing since his death. "Got a loan from Jidanbo. Also, not REALLY a Shinigami, just look like one." They stared at him, somewhat unbelieving. "Hehe. Yeah, sorry about that. Urahara knows the truth, but I guess I can tell you guys."

Looking around, he made sure no one was paying much attention to them. He got little more than the occasional glance, so he figured it was clear enough. In a quiet voice, he began. "How did they tell you I died? Car crash? Something like that?" They nodded. "Well, I was eaten by a hollow. A shinigami screwed up and I died for it.

"Well, I'm part hollow- that's a long story I do NOT want to get into, so don't even ask- so I got integrated into the hollow evolution process. Let me give you a quick rundown on it. First are the normal hollows, which you guys probably know, yeah?" They nodded, listening with rapt attention. "Well, beyond that are Gillians, though, to the layman, they're called Menos Grande."

Ishida's eye's widened making Ichigo nod. "Yea, those guys. Well, you go to that stage after and, if you were a hollow and involved in the mass cannibalism to reach that stage, you were involved with the battle of wills that create a Gillian. If a single hollow has a will that surpasses the others, they come out on top, gaining all the excess power AND retaining their intelligence. Well, I won, and kept mine."

He gave them a moment to soak it all in, though Ishida didn't take long to recover. "Not like you had much to hold onto, Kurosaki."

A vein bulged on Ichigo's head. "What was that four eyes? I couldn't quite hear you over my ever running thoughts. It really sucks having such an active, superior mind; so hard to focus on someone so much lower than you."

A matching one appeared on Ishida's head. "Yeah. I never knew that. Now I know why I was never able to give you much of my attention until you died and your importance went up."

Sparks began to fly between the two, almost literally, before they turned away at the same time, "Hmph"-ing. Inoue laughed at them both, bringing their attention off their animosity. Ichigo couldn't help but smile lightly. _'I missed this.'_ For once, Shiro didn't call him out on being an emotional pansy.

Shaking his head, Ichigo went on. "Anyway, Gillians eat each other until they evolve, which I did. Once I evolved, I became smaller but stronger, and gained a serious hunger to boot. I gotta say, that stuff changes you. You realize that you have to eat your own kind to survive and prosper... you get used to it pretty easily, though. A few of them tasted like chicken, though there was this one that tasted like sand. Ugh."

They stared at him for a few seconds after he said that. "Alright. I get it. Anyway, I eventually evolved to the last stage of normal hollow evolution, which only a few ever reach: Vasto Lorde. I had the powers of a Shinigami, though, cuz my pops was actually a Taicho a while back, so those let me go further in an instant, turning me into what was known as an Arrancar. A hollow with a broken, or, in my case, removable mask. I achieved full shinigami power at that moment, too, because they were tied together, but I sealed the hollow power so I could train the shinigami part. And that's why I look like this."

His friends looked at him somewhat unbelievingly, but he thought of something to prove it. "I can see you're a bit skeptical. Well, hollows use a technique called sonido to move around, and it leaves that dull buzz you guys hear when I use it. I couldn't use it otherwise. Shinigami use something else... though I guess either side could learn the other with enough training."

"It's called shunpo," came the response from Yoruichi in her usual, masculine voice, making Ichigo glance at her in surprise.

He almost grabbed her by the neck on impulse, but held himself back. Instead, he asked. "How long were you there, Neko-san."

"Not long." She seemed nonchalant about it, so Ichigo just brushed it of. "Hurry up an finish eating so we can go."

Ichigo's mouth fell open. "I haven't even gotten my food yet!" At the moment, a person who apparently worked there dropped a plate in front of him. "Oh, there we-" Sadly, he was cut off when a man on a large pig. boar came flying through the entrance to the establishment.

Ichigo was content to ignore him and eat his food, and he was doing just fine, until the man was bucked off and thrown directly onto his table, hitting no one's meal but his own. Deep breaths were his initial response, but the moment Shiro's laughter hit the level of hysterical, he snapped. But he wasn't gonna beat the shit out of him. He'd get a free meal out of it. _'I haven't eaten a proper meal in so long...'_

"OI! FOOD THIEVING DIPSHIT!" The man dressed in white, sleeveless uniform with a red sash holding it together and a black vest draped over it. He also seemed to wear a white bandanna with red portions and goggles.

Ichigo got a good look at him when the man looked up at him and saw a resemblance between the man and his father, and himself, by default. After a moment of shaking that thought out of his head, he continued. "Yeah, you! The one with his face shoved into my food! THE ACTUAL FUCK, MAN!?"

The man narrowed his eyes and, instead of saying sorry or anything, rudely said, "The hell's a punk-ass Shinigami doin' here?"

Ignoring the punk-ass part, he responded. "I WAS fucking EATING! But that fell through pretty quickly, asshat!"

"Oi!" cried the man indignantly, apparently only now hearing the insults. "I ain't gonna be called an asshat by any punk-ass shinigami!"

Grabbing the man by the back of the vest, he hefted him up easily, surprising the others with his physical strength. Ichigo noticed none of that, though. Instead, with a few veins bulging out on his forehead, he addressed the man. "I don't really give two shits what you think of me. All I care about... is the fact that you've ruined my meal!" He got real close to the man's face at that point, his own face becoming rather intimidating(similar to Kukaku). "Got anything to say about that? Huh?"

After the man got over the man got over the similarities between Ichigo and his sister, he glared right back. "Yeah, I do! Go fuck yourself, punk-ass shinigami!"

"Is that all you can say?" Ichigo asked as he dropped the man on his ass, annoyed. "Seriously. "Punk-ass shinigami" this, "punk-ass shinigami" that. Trust me, I know there are some serious assholes who are shinigami. Shinigami get away with letting others die just 'cause of some bull or another. But that ain't got shit to do with us right now." The man who stood below him was staring at Ichigo, surprised at the words coming out of his mouth.

Ichigo didn't stop to let it sink in, though. He just kept going. "All that does matter is the fact that you ruined my fucking meal! I paid for that, you know!? That's the first proper meal I'd gotten since... I don't even remember when! You know that!? I've been stuck in Hueco Mundo for-fucking-ever, unable to fucking eat a damned thing without looking over my back for something that wanted to eat me! I finally get a chance to FUCKING relax, just a bit, and you shove your fucking face in it. Still gonna spew that "punk-ass shinigami" bull, huh!? Well guess fucking what!? I don't give two fucks and a shit! HELL, I don't give ONE! OF EITHER!"

The entire place was deadly silent after that outburst. Ichigo realized three things in that instant. One: he'd been able to passively absorb reiatsu, even when angered. Two: thanks to that, he wasn't even the slightest bit hungry at that moment. Three: He'd been leaking reiatsu since he'd dropped the guy on his ass, paralyzing him and just about everyone around him.

Clearing his throat and reigning it in, he bowed to everyone there. "My apologies for causing such a scene. I'll take my leave. Enjoy your food." Turning to his friends, he told them that he'd find them when they were done.

As he walked out of the building, the man on the ground spoke up. "W-wait! Shinigami!" Ichigo stopped and turned to face him. "I... Sorry. I'll buy you some food."

Ichigo shook his head. "I picked up a trick from hollows on absorbing reishi to sustain yourself. I managed to fill up during that. I WAS gonna make you do that, but I ain't even hungry anymore. Enjoy riding around on a pig. Hope you don't ruin any other days." With that, Ichigo was gone in a blur of sonido, leaving a dull buzz in his wake.

Before the man could properly get up, he noticed the group Ichigo was with staring at him with not too positive emotions. Even Sado looked visibly annoyed at the man. Ishida pushed up his glasses, staring the man down. "You fly in, disturb everyone's meals, then, once you ruin our friend's, you call him a "punk-ass shinigami" instead of apologizing and offering to pay for the meal, then complain about him insulting you after being so rude, getting him angry enough to go off on you and almost kill half the people here with his presence. I sincerely hope this wasn't your way of greeting someone new, else I'd rather you not greet me at all." They all went back to their meals after that, leaving the man to leave the establishment in shame, after apologizing to everyone there, of course.

He'd gone searching for Ichigo after that, wanting to apologize. It wasn't too hard to find him, though. He just had to find the ball of bad emotions that hovered above the Rukongai district they were currently in. Once they started getting weaker, he found the spot they were strongest and called out for the "punk-ass shinigami" to show himself.

Ichigo, who'd been meditating, speaking with his Zanpakuto spirits, responded by appearing behind him in a buzz of sonido. "What?" he asked bluntly.

The man seemed to be struggling to swallow something, presumably his pride. He got off his boar and bowed deeply to Ichigo. "I'm really sorry about the fo-"

Ichigo cut him off. "Don't worry about it. I overreacted about some food. I can buy more next time I'm hungry." The man looked surprised about how easily his anger had evaporated. "I mean, I'm still mad about it, but it ain't the end of the world... if I ever see you again, though, you are getting me SOMETHING to eat!"

 _'Never mind,'_ thought the man as Ichigo proved him wrong in an instant. "Ah, I didn't even give you my name. Shiba Ganju, the number one Shinigami Hater! Number one most likely for a kid to want to call me Onii-chan, too!"

Ichigo looked at him dully. _'This guy, THIS guy, was able to ruin my day so easily... and he's related to my father, if that last name is anything to go by.'_ He held the bridge of his nose and sighed, realizing they were probably related. "Okay, you aren't the sharpest knife in the kitchen, huh? Telling what you can easily distinguish as a shinigami that you're a shinigami hater right after just his reiatsu was enough to paralyze you... nice." Ganju blushed when Ichigo pointed that out. "Well, the name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Great to meet you. Hope we don't meet again... well, after you feed me at least once for free. I only wanna see your mug once more in my life." With that Ichigo disappeared, leaving a stunned silent Ganju.

A few minutes later, Yoruichi and the group were all walking out of the establishment and making their way, much to everyone sans Yoruichi's confusion, towards the surrounding forest. Once they broke through the forest line, Ichigo joined them, his appearance only noticeable by the dull buzz that signaled his sonido.

They walked in silence for a minute or so, but Ishida was too curious. "Kurosaki, I didn't get to ask my other three questions."

"I know," responded Ichigo, "and I'm fine with that." After getting a glare, he relented. "Okay, fine. Ask away. Hopefully your questions aren't dumb-ass bait."

Pushing his glasses up, he continued his interrogation. "You managed to answer one of my other questions earlier, so I'll move on. How did you know about Hirenkyaku?"

Ichigo smirked. "That's a secret I plan on keeping for a little bit. Just know we're more similar than you think..." His eyes took on a more glazed look for a moment as Zangetsu-ossan gave him some info. "And, the story about the father of the Quincy is more than a story. Far, far more." Ishida's eyes widened behind his glasses and he fell silent.

At that moment, they reached a house in the middle of a clearing. It had two arms that held up a banner that read "Kukaku Shiba", making Ichigo begin to wonder. He could feel the annoyance bubbling within him already, but he didn't let it show. _'I'm just being paranoid. There are plenty of people with the same last name as a previously noble family... shit.'_

He was just finishing deluding himself, then disillusioning himself, when he noticed Ishida staring at the house incredulously. "What the hell?" Ichigo was of a similar opinion, but he'd seen weirder, so he didn't say a word.

Inoue, on the other hand, like the house. "Wow! So cool!"

No one could tell Sado's opinion, as his only response was a grunt. However, Yoruichi's lack of surprise was the most odd thing, in Ichigo's opinion. "So it's arms holding the banner up this time." The cat just kept walking towards the building, leaving the others to follow, or not, at the time of their choosing.

As they were walking up to the building, two monk like men seemingly fell from the sky. They had trimmed mustaches and red hats with plumes at the top. They wore rather tight shirts that showed of their muscular tops, though they weren't skin tight. "Who goes there!?" they said in sync, making Ichigo chuckle at the cliche line. It seemed that they noticed Yoruichi with the group at that moment. "Ah, Yoruichi-san! You have returned with the children you spoke of!" They parted in sync, opening the door and gesturing inside. "Right this way!"

A sinking feeling entered Ichigo's stomach as he walked into the house. The kind of feeling that told him things wouldn't be too pleasant soon. And considering he didn't get such a feeling when Ganju had ruined his day, that made him nervous.

Eventually, they reached a sliding door that the two guards kneeled in front of. When it slid open, there was a woman dressed somewhat provocatively behind it. She had a red and white dress that showed a good bit of cleavage, and the way she was sitting wasn't the most modest either. The top of her head was bandaged for no good reason beyond aesthetics, as were her ankles. Her right arm seemed to have been amputated, as she had a prosthetic one in its place, and a tattoo on the shoulder of her left arm, which was currently holding a bottle of sake.

The moment the doors opened, the woman looked at the group, though she focused on Yoruichi first. "Yo, Yoruichi! These the kids you were talkin' about?"

"Yeah, Kukaku," came the reply. "They have business in Soul Society, but we couldn't get through the west gate. The others would only end worse, so I came to you instead."

Kukaku looked the group up and down, though her eyes narrowed on Ichigo, and she nodded. "Alright. I trust you, Yoruichi." Her gaze drifted to the group. "Though I don't trust these other brats..." There was a tense silence following her words. "... So, I'll be sending someone to keep an eye on them. GANJU!"

Before anything could happen, Ichigo, the moment he heard the name, impulsively blurted out. "Shit."

Despite the group glancing at him confused, a door still opened behind Kukaku. Out of it walked Ganju, though now he was dressed in a pair of black, puffed out pants that became tighter towards his knees and had two spirals on either side. He seemed to still have the same top, though it now had a green vest that didn't cover any part of his shirt instead of the previous black one. Behind the bandanna, there was a good deal of hair sticking out. On his arms, there were guards that had odd ridges on them, and it was a similar case for his shins, as the pants had them as well.

He walked in and bowed to Kukaku. "Hai, nee-sama!" No one noticed the slight twitching of Ichigo's left eye except his Zanpakuto spirits, and only one of them was worried about it. When Ganju did look up to the group, his mouth fell open and his finger shot forward, pointing directly at Ichigo. "Y-y-you!? Why're you here?"

Ichigo, making his face relax, just looked away, picking his ear. "Huh? I know you?" Despite that, Ichigo did give him a quick glance, releasing a burst of reiatsu that pretty much told him to shut up.

Shivering, Ganju shook his head. "N-no. I just m-mistook you f-for somebody else."

Kukaku, however, wasn't convinced. "Oi, Ganju! You know this guy." Ganju, while scared shitless by Ichigo's reiatsu, had a deeply ingrained fear of his sister getting angry. And one of the easiest ways to do that was to lie to her. So, avoiding eye contact with Ichigo, he nodded.

Surprisingly, she smiled at that. "And you DON'T hate him? Makin' progress, Ganju!" He blinked before nodding rapidly, not wanting to talk too much about it. His hopes were dashed when she asked, "How'd you meet 'im?"

Inoue giggled, Sado smirked, and Ishida pushed up his glasses, a small smirk on his face as well. Why? Because Ganju's face lost all color when she asked that question. His knees weren't just shaking, they were vibrating, and a single look at him was enough for anyone to tell that he wanted to crawl under a rock and/or disappear at that moment.

Instead, he stood there, preparing for the worst as Ichigo looked at him impassively. "Go on, Ganju. Tell her the story. It's a rather interesting one, you know." Ishida couldn't help the snicker that slipped by his lips, though Sado managed to hold it in, barely, if the shiver that ran through his body was anything to go by.

Kukaku narrowed her eyes at Ganju when she noticed all the other reactions. "Ganju..." Her voice was low and warning. "How did you meet him?"

Resigning himself to his fate, Ganju fessed up. He tried to be casual about it, leaning on Ichigo's shoulder as he spoke. "Well, I just told the rest of the gang to head home for the day, and, while minding my own business on Bonnie-chan, I got bored. Decided to race my best time home, but lost control and slammed into a little restaurant."

He began to sweat heavily, but kept going, keeping his voice even, much to Ichigo's surprise and gaining a bit of respect from him too. "I went flying face-first into his plate of food, and he went off on me for it." Ichigo genuinely chuckled at that description. "Then I called him a punk-ass shinigami and... well, his reiatsu ain't something you wanna mess with when he's mad." Ganju genuinely shivered at that. "Well, Kurosaki here was causin' a scene, so he left, and I ran after him to apologize. Then he forgave me and we're cool now!"

Kukaku stared at him in a way that asked "do you think I'm stupid?" Instead of looking to Ganju for the story, she turned to Ichigo. "Okay, so what actually happened, Kurosaki."

Ichigo's smile grew devious as he looked at the formerly relieved and now panicked Ganju. "Full name's Kurosaki Ichigo, by the way, Kukaku-san. Anyway, I ain't got a clue about who "Bonnie-chan" is, but I'll assume she's the boar he was riding. He came flyin' in, landing directly on my plate out of every other person in that entire place. It was the first meal I'd had in forever, you know. Been stuck in Hueco Mundo for a while," Yoruichi, Kukaku, and Ganju, who now registered it, widened their eyes at that, "and there ain't too much there."

Ichigo shrugged, going with the same lie he fed Ganju. "Learned how to absorb reishi like a hollow to sustain myself, which is what I did by accident, filling up while I shouted at the asshat who ruined my first meal in forever." He saw Ganju go to protest the name and cut him off. "No, you are an asshat, Ganju. We are not debating this." Ganju just closed his mouth and sulked.

"Moving on, instead of apologizing, maybe even offering to pay for it, like a normal person would, he goes on to call me punk-ass shinigami. To my face." Kukaku's face was getting rather dark at this point, and there was a pulsing vein on the side of her head, though Ichigo paid it no mind.

Instead, he just continued. "I accidentally let my reiatsu slip, and he almost pissed himself." Once more Ganju tried to argue. "Shut it, Ganju. I can correct it if you think you weren't even close to pissing your pants, even though we both know you were." Ganju's previously open mouth shut with a snap, though he glared at Ichigo.

"Went off on him a bit before I realized I lost my cool, then I left to clear my head, 'cause I wasn't hungry anymore. He looked for me after that to finally apologize," Kukaku's eyes showed some hope at this, but they were dashed when Ichigo continued. "and just when I thought he wasn't that bad, he proclaimed to be the number one shinigami-hater... right in front of me. There was also somethin' about being called Onii-chan by little kids, which I don't even want to get into, but yeah. I told him he was feeding me next time he saw me, but I guess I can let it slide this time."

Kukaku was shaking for a moment, shadows covering her eyes as she looked down, before she suddenly stopped. "No, the Shiba don't leave a debt unpaid." She got up and walked over to Ichigo, stopping a few feet in front of him and bowing. "I apologize for my bumbling buffoon of a brother, Ichigo-san." When every one was staring at her, including Ganju, she shot out a leg, folding him in half forcefully, forcing him to bow as well. "I'm sure he's very sorry as well."

Ganju, through strained breaths, agreed. "Oh yeah, very sorry. So, so, sorry." His wheezing was ignored by everyone.

Ichigo now felt a bit weird. He was only intending to watch him get chewed out by his sister. In his mind, Ganju had already apologized and he was gonna pay for his next meal or something, so this was just him having some fun. He noticed that everyone was looking at him, trying to see what he'd do in this situation, so he calmed down. **_'Good choice, Kingy. Flustered doesn't suit you.'_**

Ichigo agreed thoroughly as he began to speak. "Uh, nothin' left to apologize for, you know. I might've overreacted a bit back there, and he already said sorry, anyway. He promised me a meal, so we're cool... I guess." Literally everyone there could see how awkward he felt having people bow to him.

They both got up, Ganju holding his stomach gingerly, once Ichigo was done. Kukaku went back to her normal loud personality after that, striding back to her seat. "Well, I'm glad you aren't one to hold a grudge. Good person." She seemed to nod to herself before gesturing to the rest of the group. "So, who're you kids."

They seemed to snap back to reality, as if the drama they were watching only just registered as real life for them. Ishida, being the most level headed of the group, was the first to respond. "Ishida Uuryu," he introduced, giving nothing else beyond the adjustment of his glasses.

Inoue waved cheerily at her, before rethinking it and bowing, which made Kukaku grin. "I'm Orihime Inoue! Nice to meet you."

Sado nodded at her respectuflly. "Yasutora Sado."

After the introductions were over, Kukaku grinned at the group. "Don't know why, but I like you kids!" That was something Yoruichi was thankful for, though she didn't show it. "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Show them their rooms. Then prepare the cannon for tomorrow. Ganju, show them how to use the orbs." The two muscular men, now named, slid the door open, posed, much to the bemusement of the teens, and began escorting them, though Ganju lagged behind.

Well, all but Ichigo. "Actually, can I speak to you, Kukaku-san." His tone indicated he was rather serious, so she nodded, gesturing for Ganju to leave.

"But Nee-san," Ganju objected, "he's-"

His arguments were silenced by a combined glare and response from both Ichigo and Kukaku. "I'm/He's what? Huh?" He squeaked in the most manly way possible and exited, trying to remain as dignified as possible after that.

Once they were all gone, Ichigo turned to the sitting Kukaku, who gestured for Ichigo to sit too. Shrugging, he seated himself in front of her. "Sorry, the pillow's mine," was all she said as Ichigo sat on the ground in front of her.

He just shrugged once more and stared at her. _'The more I look, the more similarities I can find between her and Goat-face.'_ After a few moments of silence, he sighed and asked what was on his mind. "This is a noble house or something like that, yeah?" She nodded, not wanting to interrupt his flow or anything like that. "Well, you guys ever had a member named Isshin? Shiba Isshin? Former Taicho of 10th Division?"

Her eyes widened at the name before narrowing dangerously. "Yeah, but my uncle's been dead for more than a decade now, though. Almost two by now."

Ichigo nodded thankfully, ignoring the dangerous atmosphere. "Okay. Thanks for that. Just wanted to confirm something." He went to get up, but Kukaku stopped him.

"You don't just bring up a dead family member randomly, Ichigo. What was that about?" Her eyes left no room for argument, but Ichigo made room.

"It's personal," he responded shortly, not wanting to give her a chance to probe deeper.

Sadly, he didn't have much choice. "I don't really care. My family is personal, but I answered that question, now you answer mine." He stayed silent, giving her a somewhat defiant stare. "You got a problem with the way we do things here? My home, my rules, gaki. Don't like 'em, leave."

Ichigo just sighed at the ultimatum. "Fine. He's my dad." In an instant, her fist was buried in his stomach, blowing past every enhanced aspect of his physiology from being a hollow, at least in part. None of that mattered at that moment. The only thing that did was how much pain she wanted to cause him.

And she caused a good deal of it, too. Enough that BOTH Zangetsu openly winced at it, though it wasn't heard over Ichigo's mental scream of pain. Falling to the floor, coughing, he placed a hand up in a show of submission. "I-I'm telling... the truth." Taking a moment to gasp for air, having been unable to take in any, he continued. "He took my mother's name, and so did me and my sisters. He turned into a Shinigami in front of me yesterday and explained what happened."

She loomed over him coldly, looking at his recovering form. Once he was able to sit straight again, she commanded him to explain, which he did in a rushed fashion, noticing that she was going for her sword. _'I could probably beat her, but that's fucking scary!'_

Once he was finished repeating the entire story his father had told him to her, he was surprised to see a single tear fall down her face. _'Is she the queen of mood swings or something!?'_ Thankfully for his own safety, he didn't say it aloud.

Shiro had no such reservations, though, as he couldn't be heard by anyone but him. **_'First that Tatsuki girl, then that Tia chick, now her. Good lord, you have a thing for running into the violent ones, don't you.'_**

Ichigo didn't have a chance to provide a comeback, though he didn't have one anyway, because she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Hey, cousin! Welcome home!" He blinked but didn't question it. A hug was a huge upgrade from the blow he'd received earlier.

Instead, he returned the sentiment. "Hey, uh, cousin."

Kukaku, noticing his hesitation, laughed. "Ah, lighten up!" Pulling the arm she had around him in front of his mouth, she brought the bottle of sake up to his mouth. "Celebratory drink? I won't tell a soul, but we're catchin' up tonight, Ichigo!"

He stared at the bottle, then thought of an excuse. "Uh, what about dinner?"

Kukaku actually looked thoughtful for a moment, which gave Ichigo hope, before shrugging. "Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko will take care of that. They'll call us when it's ready." She grinned at him then. "'Til then, we're gonna have a nice little powwow!"

Ichigo didn't even get to think of what to answer before Shiro told him what to answer. **_'Say yes, dumb-ass! You haven't had this much fun in forever!'_**

Surprisingly, the Zangetsu-ossan agreed. _'You need to relax at times, Ichigo. I feel a storm coming. You won't have many chances like this. Don't make drinking a habit, though, Ichigo. It's not good for you, and you know this.'_

His decision made for him, Ichigo sighed. "Alright, alright." He grabbed the bottle and sniffed. Shrugging, he took a gulp.

Kukaku watched him curiously. "This your first time with this stuff?" Ichigo nodded as he wiped a stray bit of it off his lip. Grinning, she laughed. "At least I got to see one of your firsts!" Ichigo blushed, causing her to laugh harder. "You're already thinking like that, huh? Ah, they grow up so fast!" She took the bottle from him and downed the rest, much to Ichigo's surprise. "Ah! That was good." Getting up for a moment, she moved to one of the mats and pulled it up.

When she came back, she had a huge bottle in her hand and two drinking cups/plates(forget what they're called). "So," she began after pouring them both a drink, "you had any girlfriends yet?"

Ichigo, having been prepared for such questions, just shook his head, taking another sip. "My turn..."

After an hour or so, they were both very aware of the effect of all the alcohol they'd consumed. "Oookay," Ichigo managed to get through his slurred speech. "you ashked 'bout dis earlier, so i's your turn. You sheen any actchion lately?"

Kukaku pouted, which was very out of place for her, and shook her head. She was swirling the sake in her dish before downing it all in one go. Then, she just took the bottle and downed a large swig. "Don't reeeally shee many people out here, ya know, Ishigo." She then took another deep mouthful of the bottle, which Ichigo just noticed.

"Oi!" he shouted in an overly loud voice. "Tha'sh not fair!" He grabbed it out of her grasp as she was still taking more, making her cry out in surprise. Taking a gulp of his own, he was oblivious of the beast he'd just released.

"That," spoke Kukaku, he voice as clear as possible in her current state, "ish MINE!" With that, she jumped at Ichigo across the small table that separated them. Taken by surprise, Ichigo could only fall backwards in surprise, the bottle falling from his mouth as he did.

They rolled on the floor, trying to assert dominance... well, trying to steal back the booze. It wasn't a quiet fight, so everyone came rushing there, wanting to know what was going on. They were only a few rooms away, so it wasn't a long trip, but when they arrived, they found what was definitely one of the weirder things they'd encountered.

Ichigo and Kukau were rolling on the ground, fighting like children while Ichigo had a bottle of extra strength sake in his hand. They heard a few shouts of "Gimme!" and "Mine!" from the tumbling duo, but they seemed to be coming from both parties.

As they stood staring, Kukaku bit Ichigo's wrist and, surprisingly, got through, making him shake his hand around, though she was still attached, shouting "MINE!" through her teeth.

Still, Ichigo held onto the bottle. It was an ordeal, for sure, but intoxication lets men do things they never thought they could. Eventually, though, they devolved back into the tossing and tumbling of before, the back and forth competition resuming in earnest.

Sadly, it wasn't to last, as Kukaku eventually triumphed, holding her foot on Ichigo's chest as she downed the last of the bottle, while Ichigo groaned on the floor. Sadly, most of it had spilled during their scuffle, so she got literal drops, much to her dismay.

She fell to her knees at that, tears flying from her eyes like a fountain. "My sake! Nooooo!"

Ichigo, recovering during her little fit, remembered through his drunken stupor where she had the sake originally and went to check for more. To his glee, he found another bottle of the same stuff. Still not noticing everyone there who was staring at them with mouths agape, he popped open the bottle and began to down it, alerting Kukaku to it.

When Ichigo brought the bottle from his face, he caught sight of the saddened Kukaku and sighed. _'Looks like a kicked puppy,'_ he managed through his stupor. He was way too smashed to resist a kicked puppy look, so he plopped himself down next to her and took another swig before offering her the bottle. He laughed as she latched onto it for dear life, throwing an arm around her. When she brought the bottle down for the much needed breaths of air, she joined him.

Eventually, they came down from the laughing high and saw who had joined them. Ichigo brought the hand still around Kukaku into the air and waved at them. "Heya, guys! You need to try this stuff!"

Kukaku immediately shook her head, clutching the bottle between her generous cleavage like it was the most important thing to her at that moment. "No! They can't have any! Ish MINE!" She began shaking her head rapidly, causing her hair to obscure her face.

Ichigo laughed again, but a random thought in his alcohol addled mind made him pause abruptly. "I can shtill have shome?" She was still shaking her head, so Ichigo took that as a no. "No fair!" And with that, they devolved into another fight of childish proportions.

Ishida, who'd been looking on in shock originally, was now thoroughly wishing he'd brought SOMETHING to record this on. He and Inoue were both shaking with barely restrained laughter, Inoue hiding her smile behind a hand while he tried to keep his stoicism going... and failed. Taking deep breaths, Ishida managed to stop the tremors from wracking his body and the twitches from running across his lips. He lost his recently achieved composure the moment he refocused on the two spirits drunk off their asses.

Ichigo was standing, looking down at Kukaku, who was still clutching her bottle like a mother clutched her child when danger was afoot, the danger being Ichigo here. In a stroke of drunken genius, Kukaku, gripping the bottle, shoved it between her generous... assets. "Try and take it now, shtrawberry!"

Ichigo, like everyone else, was stunned, though it was quickly blown away by the sudden defiance that gripped him. Staring at Kukaku for a while, his gaze flicking between his target to her smug eyes rapidly, he made a decision, one that would likely haunt him for a while. He lunged.

Surprisingly, he hit his target, managing to only touch the bottle and retain a bit of dignity in the situation. Sadly for Ichigo, if his mind wasn't in disarray, he'd have heard Shiro, who'd been scribbling notes on the events furiously, drop his pen and break into laughter, occasionally managing **'He actually fucking did it!'** or **'Holy shit!'** or even **'King's got BALLS OF STEEL!'**

In the ensuing silence, Ichigo downed the rest of the bottle. Kukaku, having been snapped out of her surprise by the act, tackled him, though she was too late.

When Ichigo hit the ground, he fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness from hitting his head a bit too hard. Kukaku didn't notice that at all. The only thing she noticed was the bottle still in his hand, which she snatched with her single hand as quickly as she could.

Attempting to just take what was, technically, hers, she put the bottle to her lips, only getting drips once more. Groaning, she just passed out, still stretched out over the similarly unconscious Ichigo, having lost twice in a row in their booze bouts.

Yoruichi just stared at the duo with mild shock and great annoyance. "Every single time I visit..." Sighing and turning away from the two with cat-like grace, since she was a cat, she called up to the two muscled men. "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko!" The two men saluted. "Just..." She stopped to sigh again. "...you know what to do." With that she kept walking toward where she knew they'd be having dinner.

Stopping and turning her head to the others, Ganju included, she narrowed her eyes. "Don't even LOOK in the direction of that room. Just wait patiently until dinner and behave yourselves." The nodded hastily, feeling the annoyance rolling of the cat and not wishing to invoke any feline wrath.

Once she was gone, though, Ishida pushed his glasses up and glanced between his two friends, an action the other two emulated. Ganju was already laughing his ass off, now that Koganehiko and Shirganehiko had taken the two drunkards off. "H-h-he tried to m-match my sister's drinking! Hahaha! Ow, my stomach! Ha!"

Ishida gave him a look that showed annoyance, but he understood the man's reaction completely. _'Who would've thought Kurosaki was an alcoholic?'_ His thoughts were shared by a still slightly amused and now worried Inoue, and a stoic Sado. Shaking his head, he turned to the others. "He will never forget this moment as long as I live." Ganju nodded enthusiastically, intending to make sure that was the case the moment he saw him lunge.

* * *

Souls Society- Day 2

* * *

The next morning, Ichigo woke up in a bed he didn't remember entering. It was far better than anything he'd slept on in the past two years. Trying to open his eyes, Ichigo found that the light felt WAY too bright. Just trying to sit up was a bit much for him, at that moment.

Eventually, his hollow reiatsu kicked in and his still active, if inhibited, regeneration took care of repairing the damage he'd done to his body, if only at least to the point that he could get up and walk around. His head was throbbing fiercely, though, and his slowly improving condition didn't end that.

He just let himself lay there for a while, his natural abilities aiding his recovery faster with each passing second. Eventually, he heard the welcome voice of his Zanpakuto spirits once more, as his thinking was clear enough to hear it. **'Oi! DUMBASS! YOU THERE!?'**

His hand flew to his temple as the throbbing intensified greatly. _'Quiet the fuck down, Shiro!'_ He could only hear snickering in the background from his EVER helpful partner. Sitting up straight, Ichigo managed to get up and walk to the door, thankfully fully clothed, or as fully clothed as he got.

With his reiatsu sense shot, he was completely lost as he tried to find where everyone was. Eventually, he just began opening every door he came across. "Bathroom, dojo, bathroom, bedroom, super bathroom," Ichigo had to pause at that one and stare for a moment, because, even though hr knew it was supposed to be a place to bathe, it looked more like and indoor pool. Correcting himself on that one, he continued. "Pool, bedroom, empty, empty, bedroom bedroom, bedroom, bathroom..."

Eventually, he realized that his ability to use his reiatsu properly had returned to the point where he could make out others. Giddy, he tried sensing them out, and found that they were a large distance away from him... and above him. _'THIS PLACE HAS AN UNDERGROUND!?'_ Shaking his head, Ichigo proceeded to make his way towards them.

Five minuted later, Ichigo was really pissed. "Another... fucking... DEAD-END!?" In his head, he heard Shiro burst into laughter and Zangetsu-ossan chuckle at his dilemma. Storming off in the opposite direction, Ichigo kept up his strategy of open every door until he found a staircase, if he didn't see one. He didn't notice, in his anger, that he was actually getting farther away, towards the areas that no one really went to.

Pulling open a door, Ichigo couldn't help but blush and close it quickly, as the contents were DEFINITELY not for him. "Kukaku hasn't seen much action if she has a room of THAT," he mumbled to himself, the embarrassment breaking him out of his frustration. Shaking his head to clear it, he chose to sense out where they were in relation to him again. What he found made him scream in anger

Ten minutes later, Yoruichi returned to the dining area with Ichigo, having found him by following the near infinite scream of rage he'd been producing. He walked in, eyes closed and eyebrows twitching violently. The raised veins on his face looked like they could explode at any moment, and his hands twitched every so often, the urge to blow the building up growing and shrinking in tandem with the focus of his thoughts. _'I am so glad Yoruichi found me before I did something I'd regret but FUCK would it have been worth it!'_

Sitting down and opening his eyes, Ichigo attempted to force a smile but gave up milliseconds later. Instead, he just said "Morning." and closed his eyes again. Cracking an eye, as he felt multiple eyes on him, he proceeded to glare at all of them, silently telling them that he really wasn't in the mood for it. Kukaku walked in not long after, and they ate, Ichigo barely touching his food, much to his own disappointment.

A little while later, the group stood on a platform with Kukaku standing proudly in front of it while Ganju stood nearby, grinning like a fool. Ichigo, looking not as pissed as he was earlier that morning, but it was hard to tell whether he'd gotten over it due to his permanent scowl, just asked, "What's that for?" Everyone stared at him before remembering that he was left out of the loop.

Kukaku, face-palming, as it was her fault he didn't know, just told him to wait. "THIS...," she began, discreetly signalling for Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko to raise it. "... is the Kukaku cannon! And it'll be letting you into soul society!" Behind her stood an enormous pillar of grey stone that Ichigo got a bad feeling from.

"How, exactly," Ichigo began to ask, "is this gonna help us?" He was slightly afraid of the answer he'd receive but asked anyway.

Kukaku blinked in surprise, as it'd been obvious to her. "Oh, well, it'll shoot you out and let you land inside Seireitei. I thought it was obvious." She just shrugged. "Ganju!" He snapped to attention. "Give him an orb." He nodded quickly, throwing a shiny orb at Ichigo.

Grabbing it in mid-air, Ichigo observed the thing. It wasn't very big, nor was it too heavy, but the moment he touched it he felt a slight tug on his reiatsu, though it didn't actually manage to draw on any of it. Looking up from it, he asked Kukaku just what the hell it was. "Just focus on it as if you were using kido. Only use a bit, though. Keep it light."

Not willing to admit that he didn't actually know any kido, he just thought of his cero, which he figured couldn't be that different. Focusing on the orb, he pushed the smalled amount of reiatsu he'd ever used in his life into it.

He didn't notice the ground shaking around him, nor the panicked actions of those around him. He just condensed it as he would for a cero. Opening his eyes, he noticed that he had a clear barrier around him... and everyone else. Releasing it, he looked to the shell-shocked Kukaku with a questioning look. "It supposed to be that big?"

Kukaku seemingly broke out of whatever stupor she was in and groaned. "No, it's not! I said a bit! Keep it light! Are you deaf!?"

Picking his ear with his pinky and tossing the orb up and down with the other, Ichigo glance at her, having turned away as she shouted at him. "You say somethin'?" Ganju looked at him with open shock, as he was openly taunting the sister he found to be the scariest thing on the planet.

Kukaku took it much better, though. She just sighed. "Just... try it again and use less than half of that."

Eyes bulging out at the amount she wanted him to use, Ichigo's mouth fell open. "LESS THAN HALF OF THAT!?" They all looked at him confused, but he didn't wait. "THAT WAS THE SMALLEST AMOUNT I'VE USED IN FOREVER!"

Yoruichi looked at him in suspicion. "Do you not know any kido, boy?"

In order to keep his pride intact, Ichigo attempted to fake it. Remembering at least one of the spells he'd seen before, he pushed his palm upward. Making a cero but holding it there, he said. "Shakkaho(Red Fire Cannon)!" Even though he didn't remember the number, he was proud of himself, seeing Yoruichi's suspicion lessen greatly. "Weakest one I can really do, though."

Yoruichi sighed as he dispelled it. "Just try and use the smallest amount of reiatsu you can, Ichigo. Better to use too little and work up."

Following her orders, he literally used the smallest amount of reiatsu he could, a literal sliver of all the power locked within his body. It took him almost half a minute, but when he felt he'd done it, he opened his eyes, there was an orb around him that was just a bit spacious, though it was properly sized, unlike the previous one.

Looking up at Yoruichi, Ichigo asked her the silent question with his eyes, dedicating the rest of his concentration to restricting the flow of his reiatsu. She just nodded, at which point, Ichigo let it drop. "Oh sweet god, that was hard." At his words, Kukaku and Yoruichi shared a look.

Yoruichi hopped in front of Ichigo, staring up at him and feeling out his reiatsu specifically for a moment. She found an ocean of it contained in his rather lithe form, a raging ocean at that. _'How can one's reiatsu be so volatile!?"_

Her decision cemented, she addressed Ichigo. "There is a technique known as the Gentei Rein(Soul-Limiting Symbol) that suppresses one's power when in use, 80% of it to be exact. All fukutaicho and taicho have one on when they go the the living world, as their power is large enough to damage the living world. You'll be wearing one."

Surprisingly, Ichigo just nodded, looking more thankful than anything. "That'll help. Thanks."

Nodding in agreement, Yoruichi began instructing him on how to do it. "Now, concentrate on your reiatsu. Focus on feeling out just how much of it there is." He nodded and closed his eyes, doing just that. "Now, in order to get a certain amount, focus on splitting it up. I recommend into five equal pieces." He nodded once more, trying to distinguish five separate pieces of his reiatsu.

Once he'd gotten it, he nodded again. "You're doing well, Ichigo, but here is where things get difficult. Take four of those pieces and pull them all to one spot on your body, any spot is fine, as long as you can get all of it there."

In Ichigo's opinion, difficult was a bit of an understatement. It felt like trying to stuff fifty bricks into a hole left for one. Oddly, the bricks he was using had a certain amount of give to them, and they adhered to his will better as time went on.

It was a full five minutes before he managed to actually accomplish it, though. He nodded stiffly, showing how hard he had to concentrate to keep a hold of that much reiatsu. _'Just how much do I have!?'_

Yoruichi was glad he'd made it so far so quickly. Normally, it'd take a fukutaicho with the average control a full half hour to reach that point. _'This boy is skilled, far more skilled than he should be...'_ Despite he suspicion, she continued on with the process. "Now, just think of a symbol to appear on that point, and we'll be done. Really visualize it, but make it small. Not your definition of small either, Ichigo. Small enough to fit in your hand."

He complied, just picking the first thing that popped into his head for a symbol. His mask. Under his collar, the appearance of his skull like mask came into view, horns, stripes, and all. Ichigo felt a little lightheaded after the process had completed itself, but then he felt how easy it was to control the amount of reiatsu he was drawing.

Gripping the orb in his hands, he gave the same amount of reiatsu he'd given to the orb earlier, finding it much easier now that the amount was now a more significant portion of his available reiatsu, five times more, in fact. _'Shit, that means I'll be more drained after all my attacks now...'_ Sighing after he finished successfully using the orb, Ichigo looked to the rest of the group.

Then two things occurred to him. The first was that he could feel the ever so slight drain of shikai, and the second being that he had no clue how to release the seal. Shrugging, Ichigo sealed both Zangetsu and sheathed them before asking Yoruichi about the seal. "Uh, Yoruichi-san? How do I reopen the thing?"

She was glad he'd thought of that, because she'd completely forgot to say anything about it, not that she'd tell him. "Focus your reiatsu onto the point and crush it. It should give in easily and release the rest of your power. It's called the Gentei Kaijo(Limiter Release). Now come on."

"Alright, sorry about the wait, guys." They all nodded, though his voice seemed to snap Inoue out of a trance, in which she was staring at the mask with a sense of fear. Shaking it off, though he made sure to note that for later, Ichigo waited for Kukaku to do whatever she was gonna do to get them in.

A few minutes later, Ichigo was regretting his choice. He was inside a cannon with everyone who was going, that being Ganju, Yoruichi, Ishida, Inoue, and Sado. Sighing, he looked to the Ishida, as he'd always been the most level-headed person he'd seen. "So, you trust this? 'Cuz I don't."

Ishida, keeping one hand on the orb they were all grasping onto at that moment, pushed his glasses up, making the meager light in the cannon flash across them. "I believe we have little choice. If Yoruichi-san chose this method... at the very least, I believe Yoruichi-san knows what he's doing." Ichigo sighed but nodded. (A/N: The "he" wasn't a typo. They think Yoruichi is a he at this point.)

The cannon rumbled at that moment, making Ichigo question his life choices once more before following everyone's lead and pumping reiatsu into the orb. A space large enough for all of them to fit comfortably encased them right before the ground below them exploded. Dimly, Ichigo heard Kukaku shout, "Kukaku Cannon, FIRE!" before everything exploded. He braced himself for the worst.

Bracing himself was the right decision, because the ride up wasn't a gentle one. He just closed his eyes and stilled himself, focusing only on the orb in front of him as they flew. Sadly, the others fell off in concentration at some point or another, because the flow he felt from Sado, Ishida, and Inoue faltered.

He didn't know what that meant for them, but he knew it probably wasn't good, as he felt the sphere they traveled in waver. In the end, he just compensated for them by taking over their roles, not even hearing Yoruichi shout at them.

Managing to make up for their absence, he, Ganju, and Yoruichi were the only ones powering the orb by the time it impacted something, though Ichigo didn't even feel it through his intense concentration. His mind was far too focused on maintaining the flow of reiatsu at that moment to pay it any attention.

What he did register, if only dimly, was the sensation of falling. This only made him concentrate harder, since, in his mind, falling meant upcoming landing, and landing equaled bad times in his opinion. Sadly, at the impact, he'd felt Ganju get jolted off the orb and Yoruichi gave up, telling them all to brace for the landing, leaving the maintenance of the entirety of the protective spear to the unresponsive Ichigo.

Less them a minute later, Ichigo felt the sphere impact something hard enough to stop their movement, jolting him from his trance. "Huh?" he wondered aloud. "The fuck happened?"

Yoruichi was the one to answer, looking at him approvingly, as if her opinion of him had been rewritten at that moment. "You kept the protective sphere going on your own. We all landed just fine." Ichigo blinked but shrugged, not noticing how Ganju gaped at him like a fish out of water.

Yoruichi got all their attention with a quick clearing of her throat. "Now, it's best we keep moving," she instructed, glancing around. "They already know that we're inside, though they don't know exactly where we are right now." Turning around, she pointed at a tower. "That is the shrine of penance, where Rukia-san is likely being kept. Stick with me." With that, she took off, leaving the others to follow her.

They were doing just fine, avoiding groups of shinigami searching for them and such, but it didn't take long for them to get sandwiched between two groups.

Ganju, thinking they should try and gain some sort of insurance, grabbed one of the weaker looking ones and kept him in a headlock. "Take another step towards us and I kill 'im!"

To their shock, the shinigami began laughing. "Go ahead!" "We didn't want the 4th Squad pansy anyway!" "Take your time!" It was a shock to everyone there bit Yoruichi, who only shook her head in disappointment of the relations between divisions.

Suddenly, Sado stepped forward, his right arm outstretched and a liquid like substance covering it. "You would throw away your comrades life so quickly?"

One of them came forward, sword already drawn. "Pfft, comrade. We already said you can have him, you know. He can die with the rest of you!" With that, he charged, his team behind him. The group of shinigami behind them did the same, seeking to sandwich them.

They didn't get very far, as the ones in front of them were blown back by Sado, who fired off a blast of reiatsu not unlike a cero, though it came from his now smoking fist. "El Directo." The other side was taken care of by a rain off arrows from Ishida, who barely had to look at them to blow them away.

"Damn, Ishida!" was the response to his attack, coming from Ichigo, of course.

The Quincy looked rather proud that his ability impressed Ichigo and made a show of pushing his glasses up. "I would not come if I were weak, Ichigo." The pride that seeped into his voice was enough to make Ichigo roll his eyes. Ishida then attempted to cover it up a moment later by including everyone else. "None of us would." Shrugging, Ichigo just began to walk in the direction they were going before, the others taking that as a cue that they were done there.

The last remaining one of the group was trembling at that point, scared for his life. Instead of turning to him, though, the group just kept going. The shinigami with a sash around him just fell to the ground on his knees, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

It was then that Ichigo remembered him and stopped abruptly, turning to him. "Oi! You!" The shinigami looked left and right before pointing to himself. "Yeah, you! Come here!" He scrambled towards the group, scared of what would happen if he disobeyed.

Ichigo just stared at the boy and realized that he was weak enough that he'd manage to slow them down. Sighing, he said what was on his mind, and why he made everyone stop. "Sorry, but we can't let you just go blabbing about where we were and which direction we were headed. Your coming with us." Despite Ishida and Yoruichi's annoyance at how he made the decision without consulting the group first, they nodded in agreement, as his logic was sound.

And just like that, they were back to running around. It was a mundane task and when they looked at the tower in the distance, they didn't feel like they were getting any closer, though they knew that wasn't the case. They'd ran into a few more companies and ended a few more companies, thankfully only encountering a few somewhat strong people who could be handled by Ishida or Sado with ease. Ichigo didn't have to step in and Inoue, from what Ichigo could grasp, wasn't really meant for combat, or she at least hadn't worked on it too much.

Inevitably, they ran into someone formidable. While running, Ichigo stopped abruptly and looked up at one of the walls they were running along. For a moment, the sun cast a shadow on whoever it was, but Ichigo knew the face and reiatsu, having encountered them twice, something rare for him. _'_ _Madarame Ikkaku.'_

The rest of the group noticed a little after he stopped that something was off. It really hit them when they heard a chuckle from him. "Lucky, lucky, lucky!" The man in the shadow jumped, landing in the group's path while his apparent partner appeared behind him, tossing his hair back. _'Ugh, and pretty boy, too? Why don't we make it a reunion and have that Kenpachi fellow pop up too!? Maybe even that shrimp of a taicho!'_ Sighing, Ichigo walked to the front of the group, right hand resting lightly on one of his sealed swords. "You gonna try us too?"

The response was cut off by Yoruichi, though. "Ichigo! We can't beat these two! We have to run!"

Ichigo could only roll his eyes. "If we were weaker than them, they'd be able to catch us. If not, we can cut them down and keep moving. Now shut it, baka-neko."

Ikkaku only laughed, his still-sheathed sword hoisted over his shoulder. "You're smarter that you look, carrot top!"

Ichigo didn't bother responding to the taunt. Instead, he just called back to the group, "I'll handle this guy. You guys keep going; be there in a minute." They nodded and ran past Ikkaku, who didn't really care, but was stopped by Yumichika.

"Were do you think your going, hmm?" The pretty boy's superior town made Ganju's blood boil, but he wasn't stupid, aka strong, enough to volunteer for the job of facing a shinigami.

Sado was one or the other, though, because he stepped forward, brandishing his arm to the side. "Go," was all the currently not to gentle giant said, clenching his now armored hand into a fist.

Raising a brow, Yumichika looked at the group, intending to stop them, but Sado was having none of that. Thrusting his hand forward with a cry of "El Directo!" he blocked the shinigami's path. With Yumichika's attention, Sado glared under his bangs, one eye showing. "I am your opponent."

Ichigo, meanwhile, was having a staring contest with Ikkaku. He was unsure who won when Ikkaku's grin broadened. "So, what's your name?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo," was the calm reply from Ichigo, who went grip his swords as he felt the battle beginning. "You?"

Ikkaku grinned even wider when he heard the name. "Madarame Ikkaku! They say men with "Ichi" in their names are brimming with talent and handsome beyond all others! As two Ichi-men," he drew his sword, holding his sheath with his other hand as if it was a weapon, "let's be friends! Ichigo!"

For some reason, Ichigo couldn't help but smile. _'That's not what most people say when they hear my name, but I'll take it!'_ Enjoying the moment, Ichigo responded in kind. "Sure! Ikkaku!" He drew both Zangetsu, holding one out towards Ikkaku and the other closer to his body. With that, they both lunged.

* * *

A/N: And that's a wrap, good people of the internet who have deigned to read my story. I do thank you for giving the time to read my story so far and I am glad that at least some of you will probably do so in the future. I don't really have any super theories to discuss from this chapter, so I'll just leave things where they are. Oh, wait, there is one, though its less of a theory and more of a change to the universe. Time in Hueco Mundo passes differently than in the real world and soul society, as it's purpose is a place for hollows to get stronger. As such, it takes less real world time for things to happen, making it a bit easier to grow stronger quickly, by real world standards, and giving those who achieve a large amount of power, namely Vasto Lorde, more time to use it, even the chance to go to the human world, if they dared.

Well, now that's out of the way. The harem is still undecided, but I don't wanna worry too much about that right now. I have ideas for that, but I'm still hashing out the details. I know for sure that, at the very least, Tia and Yoruichi will be in it... and, to be honest, I only just realized they were both dark-skinned as I typed this. Uh, lemme fix this... fem Ulquiorra too. There we go.

For now, though, I guess y'all should just try and guess what Ichigo's aspect of death is and suggest harem members, if you are so inclined. I already picked the aspect and it'll make a lot of sense when you think about it, though it isn't anything I've seen before. It's less in your face and more... deep.

I'm about done for now, though. Well, g'day to you lot. R&R.


	5. Pushing Forward Until She Breaks(Ha!)

A/N: Gonna just jump into this one. I'll do some review responses at the bottom, this time, so don't worry about being ignored. Actually, no, I have something to say, and it's pretty bad. I thought I already posted this chapter a while back, so I thought I was fine, but NOPE, I forgot to do that, so now... yeah, this is late, and I haven't been able to work much on the next chapter. So now, THAT'S gonna be late. I am banging my head against many a thing today. You don't even know. Just... just get to the chapter.

* * *

Ichigo swiped with the shorter of his two swords, more testing Ikkaku's defense than anything else. To his surprise, Ikkaku caught it with his sheath, letting it sink into the container before yanking it to the side and opening up Ichigo's guard.

The whole time, he hadn't stopped moving forward, so he just brought his sword across Ichigo's chest. Stumbling back, Ichigo brought his longer sword up to try and return the favor, but Ikkaku just jumped over it, sending his foot out to impact Ichigo's chest, which was dodged by Ichigo jumping back, bringing his once trapped sword with him. Sadly, he didn't manage to dodge the sword strike that nicked him right above his left eye, as it was sent at out the same time.

Ichigo scowled as he looked at the wound on his chest, feeling the blood start to pour from it the same way it was doing from the one on his face. He really wanted to heal them both the same way he would as a hollow, but he knew he should hold off so he didn't give away all his secrets too quickly. Instead, he just used Blut Vene to stem the bleeding of both, using his arm to wipe the blood. Silently, he wished that Shiro was in shikai so he could use his bandages. **_'Oi! Find your own god-damn bandages, ass-hat!'_**

Smirking mid-battle wasn't always the best thing, but Ichigo did it anyway, both enjoying the challenge of fighting so handicapped and enjoying his Zanpakuto's displeasure. Ikkaku took it the wrong way, though, so he started to call Ichigo out on it. "What're you smirkin' at, huh? You're the one who's cut, Ichigo!" With that, he charge Ichigo again.

This time, Ichigo knew that Ikkaku didn't fuck around, nor did he fight in a very orthodox manner. His movements were wild and unpredictable, like he was playing a game rather than dancing like most fighters. A game of chance, and a dangerous one at that.

Ichigo made him realize this the hard way, as he used both his swords to their fullest, smacking him with the pommel when he couldn't cut him, batting away the annoying sheath whenever he could, and even tripping him. The current exchange was going greatly in Ichigo's favor, as he'd gleaned a good amount of information from just their first exchange. It wasn't like it was his first time seeing Ikkaku fight either, so he had a bit of an advantage.

Once Ikkaku backed off, Ichigo smirked. "You were saying?" Ikkaku scowled as he assessed the damage. Minor cuts along his arms, a bruise or two on his abdomen, and a cut on his forehead, matching the one he'd given Ichigo in the previous exchange.

"Alright," Ikkaku conceded with a grin returning to his face, "I'll give you that one." He stood straight as he looked at Ichigo. "Who taught you how to fight, huh? I would've heard of a shinigami like you before, so don't say you went to the academy like everyone else."

Ichigo scowled as he tried to think of an answer. "I learned on my own for the most part."

Immediately after he said it, Ikkaku called, "Bullshit!" He was glaring at Ichigo lightly now. "There's no way that's all instinct. Your footwork, your precision, you speed, your strength. They aren't that of an amateur punk who just fought and got better at it over time. SOMETHING taught you how to fight like that."

Ichigo scowled deeper before he remembered something. "Well, he didn't really teach me how to fight. I just fought him two or three times and learned how Shinigami fought, but I guess that's enough, ne? Though, they weren't even remotely serious until the most recent one."

"Who is he?"

Ichigo gripped his blades and prepared for anything that could come out of his response. "I haven't known him long enough to really know much about him, but I'm sure you know this name. Urahara Kisuke."

Ikkaku seemed to freeze, his eyes wide with shock. Not too far behind him, Yumichika, who had a small lull in his battle with Sado, was in a similar state. His face was set in an expression that would no doubt be considered "ugly" to him.

Nodding, Ichigo brandished his sword, preparing to jump back into battle. "Yeah, the previous taicho. Everyone in that group knows him, all of them better than I do." Their eyes widened further, if possible.

Ikkaku, though, didn't ready his sword quite yet. Instead, he smirked and began to laugh. "Oh so HE'S the one!" He grabbed his sheath and took out some cream to stop the bleeding from the tip, which he applied on any noticeably bleeding wounds. It took him a moment, which Ichigo decided to give him.

"If he's the one who taught you..." Then, he held both his sword and sheath in a reverse grip. "It would be disgraceful for me to NOT crush you with everything I have! NOBIRO! HOZUKIMARU!" Putting them together, he moved his hand up the blade as a funnel of wind encircled it before dispersing and revealing a bladed staff with a tuft of hair on the blunt end.

Ichigo just stared at him. "You know, I just said he didn't really teach me. You just really wanted some sort of name, so I gave you the closest thing to a teacher I've had." Thinking of a phrase on the spot, as he was tired of having no cool phrase to release Zangetsu with like everyone else, he hefted them to each side.

* * *

With Sado during his fight

* * *

Yumichika looked at him with an appraising eye as the rest of the group moved on. "You know, you aren't half bad. Your hair is pretty well kept, you have nice facial features, you're built. The only thing you're missing is an actually good set of clothes." He laughed into his hand for a moment before drawing his sword. "It's a shame that you aren't an ally. I'd love to see what you'd look like with a makeover."

Sado blinked wondering just how the hell his opponent was talking about such things right as they were going to fight. Then the thought of himself in shinigami clothes crossed his mind and he couldn't help but stop and think about it, something that Yumichika noticed with a smile.

His smile fell when Sado shook his head. "I like this shirt. El Directo." And with that, the battle began. Sadly, it devolved rather quickly into a game of whack-a-mole, with Sado shooting off blasts at Yumichika and having those blasts dodged with a burst of shunpo.

Despite the futility of it, Sado knew he couldn't stop. Just from the speed that Yumichika was able to dodge, he knew that the moment he let up, he'd be done for. _'Think, think. How can I hit him.'_ He couldn't keep it up forever, though, and, eventually, he had to stop for a moment, the constant blasts taking their toll on him. Even if he could fire them off indefinitely, that didn't mean continuously.

Yumichika, oddly, didn't attack him like he was expecting. "Nice technique you got there. The blasts have such uniformity, such beauty. That arm, too. Such an intricate design, given to you by Kami-sama himself. I don't even want to fight one such as you... Ah, I didn't even get your name."

Sado, despite his confusion, introduced himself. "Yasutora Sado."

"I," Yumichika said, brandishing his sword, "am Ayasegawa Yumichika, 5th seat of the 11th Division. Hopefully, I won't have to kill someone with such potential for beauty. Sake, Fuji Kujaku(Bloom, Wisteria Peacock(I hope I'm right on this one, cuz that's from memory.))." The katana the was once straight, becoming curved like a sickle's blade, the edge on the inside of the curve and everything. Then, the blade split, becoming two then four evenly spaced copies of the curved blade.

Not knowing what the blade did now, Sado tried not to give him a chance to use it on him. "El Directo!" Firing off a blast at Yumichika, he tried to surprise the officer and end it in an instant. Sadly, it wasn't to be, as the blast was dodged.

"Ah," Yumechika sighed, "such insight, such intelligence. Your mind has its own beauty to it as well, Yasutora-san." They stood there, staring at one another for a while, but the silence was broken by Ichigo and Ikkaku not far away from them, drawing their attention.

Ikkaku had called out, "Bullshit!"while glaring lightly at Ichigo. "There's no way that's all instinct. Your footwork, your precision, you speed, your strength. They aren't that of an amateur punk who just fought and got better at it over time. SOMETHING taught you how to fight like that."

They saw Ichigo's scowl deepen before he seemed to remember something. "Well, he didn't really teach me how to fight. I just fought him and learned how Shinigami fought, but I guess that's enough, ne?"

"Who is he?" came Ikkaku's somewhat eager reply.

Ichigo gripped his blades in anticipation, at least to Sado and Yumichika. "I haven't known him long enough to really know much about him, but I'm sure you know this name. Urahara Kisuke."

Ikkaku seemed to freeze, his eyes wide with shock, Yumichika not far behind him, his shocked expression out of place on his face.

Nodding, Ichigo brandished his sword, preparing to jump back into battle. "Yeah, the previous taicho. Everyone in that group knows him, all of them better than I do." Both Yumichika's and Ikkaku's eyes widened further, if possible.

Yumichika snapped his gaze back to Sado at that point, looking at him carefully. "Yes, I can see how one like you could know him. Barely, what, sixteen? And yet you're throwing around such power." He shook his head and laughed lightly. "Beautiful. As such, I will take you more seriously. It would be disgraceful otherwise. Try not to die, though. It'd be such a waste." He put his hand forward and quickly charged his reiatsu into his palm, seeing that Ikkaku was far too preoccupied to see him just do this. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado #31: Shakkaho(Red Fire Cannon)!"

Sado, feeling the build-up of reiatsu, knew he probably couldn't dodge whatever Yumichika was planning, so he planned to counter it. He held his fist back, pouring as much reiatsu into it as he could. When Yumichika finished his incantation and fired the large red ball at him, he let his own blast fly. "EL DIRECTO!"

Comparatively, his was much smaller, but that's what had made it so much more dangerous. It had all the power he'd managed to collect compressed into a blast not much larger than his fist. It actually managed to break through the Shakkaho, surprising Yumichika to the point of letting the blast hit him head on.

Yumichika flew back into whatever part of the wall was still standing after their bout, slamming his head into it hard enough to knock him out before he was sent through it. Sado just blinked when he saw that. "I... I won?"

* * *

With Ichigo during that fight

* * *

Having settled on a phrase, Ichigo called out, "Barabara ten o hikisakimasu(Rend the heavens asunder), Zangetsu!" It seemed that both of his partners approved of his choice, as they decided to put on a show as well. His blade's hilt turned into bandaged that wrapped around Ichigo's arm. Once those were done, they traveled up the blades themselves, wrapping themselves around them in a frenzy of either white or black, depending on which blade you looked at. After a little, the bandages froze before compressing tightly. After a mere moment in that state, they exploded outwards, freeing the now cleaver like blades that made up Ichigo's shikai.

Once they'd finished their transformation, Ichigo hefted on across his shoulder and started spinning the shorter one by the bandage. "So, we gonna get this show on the road or what, Ikkaku?"

Ikkaku chuckled, spinning his staff in response. "Alright. Lemme just warn you first. Hozukimaru is more than he appears to be." With that, he grabbed it mid-spin, making the blade point towards the ground. He flipped his grip on it, putting one hand behind the other and dashed at Ichigo, holding the staff with both hands and keeping low to the ground.

Ichigo grinned and responded in kind once more, dashing at Ikkaku, one blade held in front of him while the other was held out to the side. He blocked Ikkaku's first jab with the side of his blade, bringing his other around at the side to surprise him.

Unsurprisingly, Ikkaku managed to jump over Ichigo, using his deflected staff as an aide, sticking it into the ground like a pole vault. Both of them spun around, Ichigo bringing up a defense for the attack he could FEEL was coming, and Ikkaku delivering on said feeling by bringing his staff's bladed tip around, using all of its length for reach.

Ichigo blocked it and sent his other blade flying at him, a maniacal grin on his face. _'I keep forgetting how much fun this can be!'_

Ikkaku flipped to the side, kicking the blade away by slamming it in the side as it passed. It sank into the wall a considerable amount, showing just how hard Ichigo threw it, considering that it impacted a little while after he'd already thrown it.

Ikkaku grabbed his staff from the ground, already in motion towards Ichigo in a mad dash. Ichigo waited for him this time, waiting in order to time his next move perfectly. The moment Ikkaku shoved his spear tip towards his face, he flicked his wrist, pushing the blade off to the side and opening up Ikkaku's guard.

Ichigo rushed forward at that point, trying to capitalize on the opening. Sadly, Ikkaku had been doing this for a while and just brought his spear, using the momentum from Ichigo's deflection, all the way around his own body, ready to catch Ichigo in the chin with it as he neared.

Seing this, Ichigo aborted his mission, altering his path to go to the side. Sliding under it in good old fashioned matrix style, Ichigo grinned widely and, using the opportunity, dashed to his other blade, which was still attached to him via black bandage but too deep in the wall for him to retrieve with just a tug.

He was almost there when he felt Ikkaku above him, bringing his spear down towards his head. Despite being in arms reach of his partner, he instead used his empty hand to, once he moved his body to the side enough to be safe, wrap Hozukimaru in bandages.

"He! Checkmate, Ikkaku!" With that, he brought his blade around to decapitate Ikkaku.

Well, he would've done that, if Ikkaku hadn't grinned wider at that exact moment. "Sakero(Split), Hozukimaru!" Suddenly, the blade split into three sections, and Ichigo's bandage was only holding the center one next to his head. That left the bladed part that was currently below it with enough mobility to follow Ikkaku's wishes and, directed by reiatsu, attempt to decapitate him in turn.

Cursing, Ichigo canceled his attack and chose to bust a move after throwing his blade in the air, sweeping Ikkaku off his feet and dodging at the same time. He was extremely thankful that the bandages on his arm seemed to be able to extend and retract at his beck and call, because, at that moment, if they had stayed tight, he wouldn't have been able to drop to the floor in time. Time seemed to stand still for him as he did it though, and he thought, _'Maybe I should learn to break-dance...'_ Everything seemed to come back into focus, though, so he had no time to linger on the thought, as he had a blade to dodge or die to.

As it stood, he was barely able to do it, his hair getting nicked by the edge of the blade as he dropped to the floor. Spinning, he swept Ikkaku's feet out from under him, making the 3rd seat officer fall to the ground with a surprised look on his face.

Ichigo flipped himself up quickly and grabbed his falling blade and the one embedded in the wall next to them before bringing them both down on Ikkaku, who barely had the chance to block with his staff, saving his ass, if only barely.

Oddly, by this point, they were both grinning like madmen, which they would be in the eyes of most others who saw them smiling as they tried to kill each other. Suddenly, they both began to glow, Ichigo glowing light blue while Ikkaku a light red. Things didn't stay light for long, though, as the ground beneath them began to shake and crack from their battle of reiatsu.

In the end, Ichigo, as he had all the handicaps on his own, lost the reiatsu competition and was forced to back off as Ikkaku yelled, releasing a burst of it that made Ichigo falter for the second he needed to get free. Staring each other down, they both took it all in, still grinning like madmen.

Ikkaku was the first to speak. "You're strong, Ichigo! I don't know how I haven't met you before!"

Chuckling, Ichigo dropped a bomb on Ikkaku. "You have, Ikkaku. And I kicked your ass last time."

Ikkaku raised a brow at that. "Oh? I know I'd remember a fight like this, Ichigo!" Ikkaku then charged him, sending a barrage of blows at his face, which he managed to dodge all of. "Don't bullshit me now, Ichigo!"

Batting the blade aside in a similar way to earlier, Ichigo kicked Ikkaku in the chest, enjoying the way the air rushed out of the man's lungs. "Oh, you have. Lemme see if you remember THIS!" Sticking his hand out, Ichigo channeled most of his reiatsu into the tip of his first two fingers, which he extended while still gripping his black bandaged Zangetsu. He poured so much into it that the ground began to shake and three beams of light came off it.

Ikkaku, seeing this, shook his head. "That's just a super Shakkaho, Ichigo! Nothin' too special there."

Grinning, Ichigo said one word that made Ikkaku's eyes widen to monumental proportions and his entire body freeze up. "Cero." He hadn't even fired it, but Ikkaku was already hurting all over, remembering the last time he'd felt this reiatsu, seen that special, tri-focused cero of his, felt the attack char his skin. "The name's Kurosaki Ichigo, but you knew me better as Kuro. But that's a secret, so you can't tell anyone. Sorry about this, but you won't survive this time."

Ichigo sighed sadly before grinning maniacally. "If you die, try and return as a ghost and fight me again! If you happen to live, search for my reiatsu and come for a rematch as soon as you can! You sure as hell won't forget it after THIS!"

With that, he fired at the frozen stiff Ikkaku, charring his body and burning his Zanpakuto to the point that only the somewhat charred pieces held within his grasp remained, and from the embers on their edges, he doubted even that would remain for long.

Surprisingly, Ikkaku was still standing, though Ichigo couldn't feel anything from him. "You managed to retain human form. Nice." He sealed his swords, walking up to then passing the insensate shinigami. "Sadly, your reiatsu just dropped to zero. Been good knowing you, Ikkaku. If you become a ghost, come for a rematch some time." As he walked by, Ikkaku dropped to the floor, not moving, not even twitching. His body didn't emit a shred of reiatsu that Ichigo could sense.

Ichigo, who was moving toward Sado, was too far away to see it, but, after a few moments, Ikkaku's hand twitched around his annihilated shikai. His mouth tried to move, tried to make words, but it couldn't. He couldn't even feel his tongue, let alone wet it enough to even attempt to speak. He tried to force himself up, tried to say, "I'm not done yet!" but his body was toast, literally. His body was burned so badly that he didn't even feel the pain. He couldn't do it. He'd been destroyed. And he'd probably die there.

Ichigo had reached Sado, who'd finished his fight and was staring at Ichigo in awe. "Y-you..."

Nodding, Ichigo kept moving in the direction their friends had went. "Yeah, I know. He was a good fighter, and he deserved a good death. That was one of the strongest things I could pull off right now, and he took it head on. If it didn't finish him, I'd have had to release the seal, and the moments before I got it all under control would alert everyone to our exact position." He shook his head. "Be glad things ended the way they did, Chad."

Sado nodded, accepting what Ichigo said as he followed, even if he didn't the side of Ichigo he saw during that fight. _'We all have a side like that,'_ he reminded himself, but he still found it hard to get the image of Ichigo grinning like a kid in a candy-store as his swords bore down upon someone else's, ready to cleave them into multiple pieces in the event that he won the clash. _'I was like that once...'_ Oddly, he could feel his blood boil in a pleasant way and his left arm tingle, though it quickly went away.

Ichigo snapped him out of his own world when he stopped the jog they were currently doing. "Oi, Chad!" He nodded, silent but listening. "Do you have any high-speed techniques?" He shook his head, making Ichigo sigh. "Alright, I'll teach you this one real quick. Sonido. I feel like you can do it, 'cause your reiatsu feels rather hollow like- that's not an insult, by the way."

Blinking in surprise, Sado repeated his words. "My reiatsu... feels like a hollow's?"

Nodding, Ichigo continued. "Yeah, a lot more like it than anything else that isn't a hollow, except that Zaraki guy. You can probably learn it pretty quickly, 'cause it comes naturally to a true hollow. It'll probably feel natural." Sado nodded, waiting for instruction.

"I'll keep this short and sweet, Chad. Build up reiatsu in your feet, focus on a direction, then release it in a burst opposite the direction you want to go. It's sudden burst combined with the potency of hollow reiatsu makes the sound wave you hear as..." Performing a sonido to appear right next to Sado, he gestured to the area the sound came from. "that. Now you try. It'll make travelling much easier if you can do it."

Sado nodded, focusing on the area in front of him, and pushing a large amount of reiatsu into his legs. After it built up for a few seconds, he let it go. Sadly, he didn't really know how much he needed to the short jump he intended, so he ended up a few meters ahead of where he intended, falling forward onto his face.

Ichigo burst out laughing at the attempt. "Gahahahaha! Oh, hahaha, at- at least w-we know, hahaha, that y-you c-can do it, Ch-Chad! Oh my god, I can't breathe! Hahaha!" He was on the floor rolling around by the time Sado managed to do it again, landing shakily next to Ichigo.

Getting up on shaky legs, his body still wracked with laughter, Ichigo congratulated him. "Oh, that was good. Well, you can do it, and you didn't fall down that time, see? A few more reps and we'll be set. Now get to it and tell me when you feel like you can do it." Ichigo then let himself recover from his laughing fit fully, looking out for any patrolling shinigami at the same time. During this time, Ichigo allowed his high-speed regeneration to heal his wounds from the previous fight and to fill up on reishi from around him, due to advice from both Zangetsu.

It was a minute or two before Sado felt he was good enough to travel. If he was honest, something about sonido felt a little off to him, but he figured he'd get used to it as time went on. _'Besides, I don't have time to worry about that now.'_

Jumping to the top of the wall next to them, Ichigo and Sado buzzed away, traveling at, for Sado, high speeds. It was a bit sluggish for Ichigo, but it beat running by a mile. Not long after they started this, Ichigo lead them to the group, who seemed to be engaged in another battle at that moment.

Ichigo looked down from the wall they were standing on as a red-haired shinigami talked down to a somewhat bloody Ishida, an unconscious Inoue, a scared shitless Hanataro and Ginjo, and a disappointed Yoruichi. Sighing, he looked to Sado before jerking his head down to them. He got a nod before they both buzzed away.

Just as Ichigo went to stop a slash from a serrated blade that was meant to decapitate Ishida, he saw that Ishida was smirking. Looking around, he saw four stakes in the ground, something the red-haired shinigami failed to notice.

Ishida then reached behind him and brought out what looked like a blade made entirely out of reishi, blocking the swing and pushing the shinigami back. Stabbing it in the ground, which seemed to both activate a technique of sorts and trap the shinigami. He brought out a container of something Ichigo could feel was concentrated reiryoku from Ishida in an almost liquid form, which he dropped a bit of on the blade like thing in the ground in front of him. "You were careless, Abarai-san. And now you'll pay for that. Sprenger(German for explosion)." A pillar of blue reiatsu engulfed him for a while, filling in the pentagonal the stakes had made.

Ichigo whistled, drawing people's attention to him. "Damn, Ishida! And I thought I was flashy sometimes. That's a bit over the top, man."

Ishida smirked, despite how tired he looked, and pushed up his glasses, looking rather smug. "What took you so long, Kurosaki. I had to step in because you were having so much trouble."

A vein appeared on Ichigo's forehead as he pretended he couldn't hear Ishida. "What's that four-eyes? I couldn't hear you over my victory with 80% of my power sealed and not a scratch on me." Ishida had no comeback for that, so he said nothing. "That's what I thought. Anyway, I feel like we should retreat for a while, 'cause Chad is running on fumes, Inoue is unconscious, you're battered, and baka-neko is being baka-neko. Oh, and Ganju is about to piss himself again. If I get held up by anyone I can't handle with my seal on, we're fucked. Ganju peeing on opponents isn't a viable way to fight, so he doesn't count."

An indignant, "I AM NOT!" came from Ganju, which Ichigo dutifully ignored. Sadly, he actually had to dodge the swipe from Yoruichi, who was a bit annoyed by his response, even if she agreed.

Grumbling slightly, Yoruichi voiced her assent. "Ichigo is correct. Such a display has no doubt given away our position, no matter how necessary it was. According to Abarai-san, the execution is five days from now, so we have time to make it back to this point. Let us find somewhere to rest for the night." With that said, she began to stalk away as Sado hefted the unconscious Inoue and Ichigo and Ganju helped the battered Ishida, as he'd used up just about everything in his last attack.

Behind them, all but forgotten, Hanataro called out. "W-wait!" Ichigo turned around and looked at him. "What? You wanna try us too?"

Hanataro shook his head and ran up to them. "I want to help. I-I know Rukia-san is innocent; I heard some captains talking about doing this to her on purpose for some reason or another. She's helped me so much, I owe her at least this much." To their surprise, his eyes showed resolve to help, even lacking in combat ability as he was.

Shrugging, Ichigo replied. "I'd say that's fine. Many hands make the work light, you know." Sado, Ganju, and the now barely conscious Ishida agreed in their own way while Yoruichi jut watched on, knowing that whatever they chose, they'd probably go with regardless of her wishes.

"So," Ichigo asked Hanataro, once they'd begun leaving the area again, "do you know any good places to hide.:

Hanataro nodded eagerly. "Y-yeah! We can go through the sewers... i-if you don't mind, that is."

Ganju, leaving the load of the now unconscious Ishida to Ichigo who had little problem with it, wrapped an arm around Hanataro's shoulders. "Now, listen here, Hanataro! You're a man, aren't you!?"

Ichigo was half-hoping that Hanataro said no, but to no avail. "Y-yes."

Getting really close to his face, Ganju said, rather loudly. "WHAT WAS THAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Not really understanding what he was doing, Hanataro just spoke louder, inadvertently doing exactly what Ganju wanted. "Yes!"

Nodding, Ganju continued what he was saying earlier, this time shouting. "THEN ACT LIKE ONE, HANATARO! ASSERT YOURSELF! NOW, ARE WE TAKING YOUR PATH!?"

Hanataro, for reasons beyond him, saluted and responded in kind. "Yes, Ganju-san!"

Both Ichigo and Yoruichi looked at the two in mild amusement and larger amounts of annoyance, while Sado just ignored them, continuing to carry Inoue. Sighing at their antics, Ichigo chose then to interrupt it, not really in the mood. "If you two are done, can we get on with it."

A while later, they were underneath seireitei, safely making their way to an area that didn't feel like it had anyone too strong above them. Hanataro, being a medic, got to treating Sado's light case of exhaustion, Ishida's injury, and Inoue's more serious case of exhaustion. It was late afternoon by that point, so he hoped they just slept through the night.

He had quite a few ration bars in his satchel, among other things, so he was fine in his attempt to take care of all of them, though his help was refused when offered to Ichigo. "I can absorb reiatsu and use it to sustain myself. I could probably handle more than a week of this straight. Focus your resources on those who need it." Shrugging off Ichigo as an oddity, Hanataro proceeded to take care of everyone while Ichigo seemed to meditate off to the side, facing the waters that ran through the sewers.

While he sat there, Yoruichi came by and, being a cat, curled up on top of Ichigo's head, claiming it as her spot. He ignored that fact and just asked, "What is it, Yoruichi-san?"

She was silent for a little while before she responded. "You seemed to combine Kido and Hakuda while you were fighting Kisuke. I'd like to know about that, Ichigo. It's similar to something else I've seen."

Ichigo chuckled a bit at that. "You think you've seen it before, but you definitely haven't. Before I answer that, though, how much do you know about me?"

Once more, she fell silent, though it only lasted for a little while. "I heard most of what you told those children, Ichigo, though I can tell that you are still keeping some things from them. You can do as you wish there, though. I will not interfere."

Nodding thankfully, though lightly, so as to not disturb Yoruichi's position too much, he responded. "Thank you. I'll hold you to that, you know." He got a small grunt of acknowledgement from the cat. "Okay, what you saw was the ability of my Zanpakuto, though I unlocked the ability before I got them."

"Them!?" Yoruichi asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Ichigo affirmed, "them. That's why there's two swords, I'd assume. Anyway, the power was to compress power and magnify it before using it, normally firing it off in some way another. I have a few theories on why I got the power without properly getting to know them, but I don't know for sure."

Yoruichi was silent for a while before she said anything. "You can tell them to me, Ichigo."

Nodding, he continued. "Alright. Maybe, as a hollow, my soul was pretty much whole, since we eat other souls to get stronger and assimilate them. So all the power was pretty much mine to command until my shinigami powers awakened separately, making me realize that those two were up here." He tapped his head with a small smile, happy that they were with him, if no one else. At the very least, they'd always understand.

Yoruichi then asked another question. "How does it work? The hakuda combination specifically. I can see that your Zanpakuto is technically a kido type, but you use it like a front-line attacker."

Ichigo chuckled. "Well, except for one of them, me and one of my partners prefer to go in head-first and work from there. We work better like that. The other tends to be the voice of reason. And I am so thankful we have him."

In his head, he heard Zangetsu-ossan comment. _'You're welcome Ichigo.'_

He went back to explaining to Yoruichi, though. "As for the hakuda part, well, I'd been doing it first, so it comes just as naturally as wielding Zangetsu here." He gestured to the two sealed swords laying in his lap currently. "I guess I could try and explain how it works, though. See, I take reiatsu and send a bunch of it to one area. Normally, once it popped up, I'd keep it on my arm or something and use it to up my power by a lot. I punched through this giant hollow's skull this one time, and let me tell you that it wasn't too hard with my power at the time. I was weak compared to max power, though." He didn't try to gloat, he was just trying to state a fact.

Yoruichi, though, became curious. "Oh, so how strong are you? I thought we'd seen most of it already."

Shaking his head lightly, Ichigo proceeded to explain a few things. "You know about Vasto Lorde and such, yeah?" She nodded. "Well, think of it this way. Gillian is like a sealed sword. A lot of potential. Then, there's Adjuchas, which is like shikai, then Vasto Lorde, which is the equivalent of bankai." She nodded once more, listening intently. "Well, one of my Zanpakuto spirits is a shinigami-hollow hybrid -don't even ask, 'casue that's a whole 'nother story- so, as my hollow power grew, so did my shinigami power. I told you what they were equivalent to, so what did I achieve the moment I evolved to a Vasto Lorde?"

If Ichigo could see her face, he'd see cat eyes so wide they might've popped out of her skull. "Bankai..." she whispered.

He nodded. "Bingo. The power boost was like a double bankai, and I had been fighting alone for so long... well, I welcomed the companionship and now, we're a team. A very dangerous team, at that. The main reason I'm like this is because it lets me train my shinigami powers on their own so I can be stronger overall. I haven't even mastered my hollow powers to the fullest yet, but I just wanna bring these up to par so it's not too much of a gap. For the record, this form suppresses the larger portion of my power. I can only imagine what the outcome will be when I unseal myself completely."

Yoruichi could only imagine, too. And she found an answer. _'Monstrous.'_ Shaking her head, she asked him another question. "WHY are you gaining all this power?"

Ichigo was silent for a little while before he responded. "I have a few reasons. When I was originally eaten, it was because I couldn't do anything against the hollow that attacked my family. I don't care that I was alive and living a normal life. I don't care if I should've left it to a shinigami. I couldn't do a thing, and I never wanna feel like that again. So, I will be strong enough to at least put up SOME resistance to every threat to anything I love that pops up. It's all I CAN do anymore. I have nothing left TO do. Besides, the shinigami who was actually there was utterly useless. She failed and I died because the person I was relying on failed. Don't wanna rely on others any more.

"Also... there's a storm coming, Yoruichi. My partner could feel it at first, and now I can see what he's talking about. Things are about to happen that'll make changes in the way the world is. I'm just trying to make sure the changes are good ones, if only to protect what I couldn't before. I failed once; I'm not wasting this second chance. I know what the catalyst for these changes is, and I'm gonna be strong enough to cow him into not doing anything too... evil with his power, since I know I probably can't stop him from gaining that power, if it came down to it. For now, this is my purpose. Don't know what I'll do when this is all over, though..."

Yoruichi was silent after that, taking it all in. _'This is no boy. In life, he took the responsibility of protecting his family, and even in death he dedicates himself to such a purpose, taking the weight of the world on his shoulders willingly... I can't tell if he is a very foolish man or an overly manly fool. But, I will help this one. He is noble, even knowing how much power he has at his finger tips. That alone is worthy of respect.'_

Her mind made up, Yoruichi addressed him. "If you ever need help, I'll always be willing to at least listen, Ichigo, though I can't promise I can always help. If what you say is true, then I will always be there." Ichigo nodded in gratitude, knowing how strenuous his undertaking will be. "Now," Yoruichi said playfully, trying to help him relax, "I have another question. Why don't you wear a shirt?"

Chuckling, Ichigo had a pretty easy response. "I feel like it'll be way too restricting. As it stands, the hakama pants are rather baggy, so I forget I'm wearing them sometimes. A shirt would be overkill in my opinion. I can always pull up the rest of the shihakusho if I NEED to, buuuuuuuuut I don't wanna."

Yoruichi laughed on top of his head. "Oh, we're gonna get along just fine, gaki!"

Ichigo ignored the nickname once a rather large cat yawn escaped Yoruichi's mouth, much to her embarrassment. Looking up at one of the gratings and realizing it was night time, he smirked. "Go to sleep, baka-neko. I'll keep watch." She nodded before snuggling around on Ichigo's head.

Once he was sure Yoruichi was asleep, he went into actual meditation. With ease, he delved into his inner world, both to train and to enjoy his partner's company.

* * *

Soul Society- Day 3

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes before the sun was even over the horizon. Hollows normally didn't sleep much, as being asleep tended to make you an easy meal, so he didn't do it at all, just meditated. Getting up and stretching, Ichigo looked around, finding that Hanataro was sleeping like a baby, Inoue was sleeping soundly, Ishida was out cold, and Sado was sleeping like a rock. Ganju was sleeping like... Ganju, meaning that he was sprawled on the floor and snoring a bit, though it felt very loud in the otherwise quiet sewer.

Reaching his hand up, he felt fur before he felt hair, confirming his suspicion that Yoruichi was currently on his head. Looking down at the water, he had an internal debate on what to do. _'Now, I COULD dump Yoruichi in there for a nice wake-up and get on her bad side for god-knows how long, or I could not do that and feel empty for the rest of the day... worth it.'_

Sadly, as he approached the water, Yoruichi spoke. "Don't even think about it. Sit down, and let me continue my nap." He was a bit indignant at being ordered around, but when she repeated it more forcefully, he complied, albeit reluctantly.

An hour or so later, Ichigo was relieved when everyone began waking up, groggy as they were. "So, how were the solid rock beds? Comfy, right?" Ganju and Ishida flipped him off at about the same time. After chuckling a bit, Ichigo looked at the group seriously. "How are we gonna do this, huh? We have four days after today to get up there without killing ourselves."

They were all quiet for a bit, making Ichigo sigh. "Okay, we better make a plan before going up there today, 'cause I don't feel like fighting for no reason right now." He looked up to Yoruichi, who was still taking up residence on his head. "Do you think the taicho have been mobilized?"

Unfortunately, she nodded. "You killed a 3rd seat of the most combat oriented squad, Sado beat the 5th seat of the same, and Inoue and Ishida together managed to beat a fukutaicho. You've proved strong enough to be worthy of such attention, so it's time they send in the hard hitters to deal with us."

Ichigo cursed. "Fuck. Well, I'll probably have to release the Gentei Rein for that, but I think I can still win against a taicho. Hopefully we don't encounter Ichimaru-taicho, Kaname-taicho, Hitsugaya-taicho, or..." he paused to shiver. "Aizen. I doubt anyone else has a chance against HIM besides me. I know I can take Kenpachi-taicho, 'cause he fights with straight zanjutsu..." He took a moment to think, ignoring the shocked looks he was getting.

Looking up, he glanced at Ishida. "How fast are you?" Ishida fumbled for words. "Ah, there isn't really a scale for those things, huh? Well, go to that third grate and back with your Hirenkyaku and back as fast as you can." He nodded dumbly, doing as he was told.

Ichigo watched with rapt attention. Once he returned, Ichigo commented, "Not bad. But it takes you too long to get going after coming out of one, and the speed you travel is only mid fukutaicho level, from what I can tell. Ikkaku, the 3rd seat I faced, could've probably kept up with that using his shunpo." He closed his eyes to think for a moment. _'Any ideas, guys? I'll be honest in saying none of these guys could handle a taicho right now.'_

To his relief, Zangetsu-ossan had an actual idea, whereas Shiro just told him to handle everything from then on. _'I get an odd feeling from that girl's powers. Ask her about her power. If that Quincy boy releases the Sanrei glove, her power needs to be able to restore anything, even if it is destroyed.'_

Snapping his eyes open, he turned to Inoue. "Inoue, how do your powers work, specifically?" She shook her head, showing she didn't know.

Sighing, Ichigo got up, drawing his shorter sword. To everyone's surprise, he cut off his own arm and, after taking a moment to grimace, fired a low powered Getsuga from his other hand, destroying it. "Try and heal that."

She trembled slightly, seeing all the blood pouring out the wound. Ichigo played on this. "If you don't do something, I die of blood-loss." It was a lie, but they didn't need to know that.

Hanataro moved forward to help, but Ichigo stopped him. "No, I want HER to do it, Hanataro." The rest of them, after breaking out of their shocked states as well, were about to jump on him with accusations of how stupid he was being, but he sent them a quick look that told them to shut it.

Steeling her resolve, she moved forward putting her hands out towards Ichigo. "Soten Kisshun(Twin Sacred Return Shield)!" A golden barrier encased the area that Ichigo's arm once took up. To most everyone's surprise, it returned.

Once she was done, Ichigo flexed his arm, testing it out for a moment before nodding. "Okay, so it can." He ignored their curious stare and contacted his partners. _'Should I say anything to Ishida and Inoue about it?'_ He got the affirmative and received some details, so he did just that.

Looking at Ishida, he gestured for him to come closer. Grabbing his glove, he raised it. "If you, for any reason, have fight a taicho, don't be afraid to release this, Ishida. I know that you're supposed to lose your powers, but Inoue's abilities are either temporal regression, or the abilities of a god." Everyone looked shocked at his words, so he explained. "I destroyed the arm completely, and she brought it back, though it was the exact same as before. Her power isn't healing, it's restoring, regardless of circumstances. I could be dead, and she could likely bring me back."

He released the shocked Ishida's gloved hand and went to turn away before looking at Inoue. "Oh, and, for the record, I could've both stopped the bleeding and regenerated the arm on my own. I wasn't in any actual danger." EVERYONE looked relieved, not even surprised that he could do something like that by now.

Thinking about it, he looked back and forth between the two. "Actually, you two make sure to stay together no matter what. This gives you two the capability to beat a captain, even if you are crippled for a little while after." Holding out his hand to Hanataro, he commanded, "Three ration bars, now." Getting them, he handed them to Inoue. "I know they don't taste the best, but you are the life-line of this operation. You fall, we have no way of getting back up." Looking to Ishida, he hardened his eyes. "Protect her with your life. I know I don't have to say it; I just want to." He didn't notice Inoue blush slightly at his words, as he was already onto something else.

Sighing, Ichigo put a hand on his face. "That's one taicho-level threat we have on our side." Looking at the others, he began thinking, trying to come up with something as they resumed their staring at him in surprise and, in Hanataro and Inoue's case, awe.

Yoruichi was the first to speak in Ichigo's observing silence. "How?" was all she asked, though. She was completely capable of strategizing like this, but she was more surprised that Ichigo was able to do it so well.

He sighed again. "You pick up on strategy naturally when your fighting for your life 24/7 for the past two years- and yes, it was two years for me; not sure how that works. I'm used to working with more power than this, but I'll make do with what you guys have to offer. Now shh, I'm thinking." He closed his eyes, trying to assess the situation as best he could. Despite saying all that, he definitely wasn't the best strategist, only the one with the most information at that moment.

 _'Think, Ichigo, THINK!'_ Bringing both hands up to his face, he covered himself for a moment before exhaling deeply as his partners began to brainstorm with him. _'Thank you, Zangetsus.'_ "Okay," he said, bringing his hands from his face, "I think I have something for the rest of you." They perked up, hoping he had a good plan.

"Chad, from what both I and Zangetsu can tell, your attack is one you can use regardless of your own limits, but it'll kill you before it stops you from using it. We felt your reiryoku dropping slightly after you pretty much ran out of reiatsu, until you began to absorb reishi from around you, that is. Since that's the case, you need to be more careful about it, but you don't have to be too sparing. I taught you sonido, so try using it to confuse your opponent and get a good hit with that thing. It packs enough punch to actually wound a captain, from what I can tell. Just... practice with sonido for now. You'll need it to stand a chance." Sado nodded.

Turning to Ganju and Hanataro, who pretty much had stars in their eyes, he began. "Do you know shunpo?"

He nodded, though a bit shakily. "Y-yeah, b-but mine isn't too g-good."

Looking up at Yoruichi as best he could, he asked, "You know shunpo, right, Yoruichi?" She nodded, seeing where he was going with it. "Could you tutor both Ganju and Hanataro in it? They need to be able to at least dodge a bit." She nodded again, striding over to the two after jumping off his head.

Thinking a bit more, he looked to Ishida. "You and Chad should practice your speed together. He needs to get faster bad, and that's how you fight, so you need to up that ASAP." Ishida nodded.

"Good. Does everyone understand what they need to do?" They nodded. "Good, we'll stop at noon and see how far we've progressed. Don't push yourselves too hard, because if you injure yourself too badly, Inoue's healing will reset all the progress you've made. Now, get to it." They all began doing their thing, and Ichigo turned and sat down, looking at the water. They had a good four hours to try and get as good as they could, and he wanted to be able to activate his Blut on a whim. They all had things to work on, even Ichigo.

A few minutes in, Yoruichi strode over to Ichigo. "What are you doing?"

Opening a single eye, he glanced at her. "Practicing my control over... things. I doubt I'll have the chance to even try for bankai, so I'm doing this instead."

After glancing back to find Ganju trying to look cool while attempting shunpo, and barely moving two feet forward, she shook he head and looked back at Ichigo. "How close are you to manifestation?"

"I..." Ichigo trailed off, letting the tension build. "Haven't the slightest clue. I'm going through this whole shinigami thing blind, to be honest with you. I know what to do, but I haven't the slightest clue how to do it."

Yoruichi looked at him with disbelief before shaking her head. "Well, just reverse the process of entering your inner world. If your connection with them is strong enough to reach this point, it shouldn't be too hard."

Face-palming for not thinking of such an obvious method, he attempted it, and, a few seconds later, found Zangetsu-ossan standing on the moving water in front of him in true Jesus fashion and Shiro sitting right next to him. **"Hey, Kingy!"** he called out in his eerie double voice, throwing an arm around Ichigo's shoulder. **"'Bout time you figured it out, y'know."** Oddly, the other Zangetsu was in complete agreement.

At the sound of Shiro's voice, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over to find an albino Ichigo and a cloaked man wearing shades near Ichigo and Yoruichi, and neither of them seemed alarmed, though Yoruichi looked intrigued.

She showed said interest in her question. "These are your Zanpakuto spirits?"

Ichigo nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yeah, and they are the best at what they do... though they don't do much."

Shiro seemed to take the slightest bit of offence to that, if the headlock he put Ichigo in was anything to go by. **"What was that, Ichigo? I didn't quite catch it."** Ichigo repeated himself easily, a smirk on his face. Soon after, it devolved into a wrestling match, which dropped them both into the water, soaking the other Zangetsu, who didn't take to kindly to it.

He pulled a copy of his cleaver form out of midair and slashed down with a mild Getsuga Tenshou, sending them both out of the water, hitting the wall rather hard. Instead of scolding them, he just dismissed the sword and waited for them to recover.

Ichigo recovered first, having used Shiro to soften the landing. "Sorry, Ossan." He made his way back over to the water's edge, sitting down exactly where he was before. "Well, what now?"

The answer he got was one he already knew. "You have to make them submit... by force."

He sighed. "I already knew that method, but I was hoping there was another way you knew. Well, bankai is out of the question for this mission." He got a questioning look from everyone, who he noticed was staring. "What, you don't know what bankai is or are you wondering why I can't do it?"

For the most part, they were wondering both, though Hanataro and Yoruichi knew what bankai was. "Bankai is the final released form of a Zanpakuto, giving a huge boost in power."

Yoruichi interjected. "5 to 10 times as powerful as the shikai."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. It's a pretty major boost. To get it, though..."

This time, Shiro interrupted him. **"He has to actually beat us! BOTH of us!"** He broke down into laughter at that.

Ichigo nodded in disappointment. "Yeah, and I can't do that with my seals on, and I can't take them off without everyone knowing where we are. To make matters worse, it'd take at least a good twelve hours for me to do it, and Ossan would probably include some convoluted-ass test in there, just to make things difficult." He shook his head. "The fight itself would bring this sewer down on itself in the first few minutes, if it even lasted that long. At full power, Shiro here could take a taicho alone, without me or Ossan's help." Shiro looked rather smug when the looks of shock came over their faces.

"Yeah," Ichigo affirmed. "I'd need a good place to hide, that can both handle and hide my reiatsu. I'm gonna assume we don't have one of those handy." They had no response. "Yeah, thought as much. Now, GET BACK TO WORK!" They did just that the moment Ichigo shouted at them. Yoruichi didn't have to do more than point out mistakes every once in a while, so she just sat by the water and alternated between watching Ganju and Hanataro, and watching Ichigo.

With their attention off him, Ichigo walked over to Ossan, solidifying his reiatsu under him just as he would've hit the water and sunk. Shiro was right behind him. "So, do you guys think you could teach me anything else that could help? I'll need as much as I can get, in case I run into, say, more than one taicho at once."

They were both silent as they glanced at each other, having a small conversation with their eyes. In the end, Ossan asked him something made him blink. "Can that girl create a barrier around us?"

Ichigo shrugged and asked. "Oi, Inoue!" She perked up at being addressed. "Can your powers create a barrier around us three?" He gestured to himself and his partners.

She hadn't done anything like that with her powers before, but she was open to the attempt. "I can try. Santen Kesshun(Three Sacred Links Shield)!" A triangular dome covered the three of them easily.

"Good job, Inoue," Ichigo praised. "This is your first try doing it? Damn. Keep this up as long as you can. It'll be your little bit of training." She nodded, holding her hands out and concentrating on maintaining the barrier's strength.

Ichigo turned back to the two, who either had a large grin or a small smirk, depending on who you looked at. You can tell who had which. Ignoring them, he just asked them to get on with it, which Zangetsu-ossan proceeded to do first. "Perform your Blut, Ichigo." He did as he was told. "Now, focus on your reiatsu while holding it." He followed orders.

"Do you feel the large buildup at your wrists?" Focusing on it, he indeed felt that his wrist felt like it was letting out more reiatsu that the rest of his body. He nodded. "Good. Now, focus on directing the reishi there and following the path you find." He followed his orders to the letter, trusting his partner not to order to do something harmful.

He was proven correct as he felt his power boosting itself. Opening his eyes, as he closed them to concentrate, he found that there were red markings all over his skin. "That, Ichigo," Zangetsu said, regaining his attention, "is Blut Arterie. Instead of boosting your defense like Blut Vene, it boost your attack potential massively. Your muscles are empowered, your reiatsu is boosted, and your techniques have increased greatly in destructive potential. This isn't really something one can practice as easily as Blut Vene, so I recommend you do this whenever you can, and learn the layout of your pathways so you can just skip the Blut step completely. For now, this is all you are ready for, Ichigo. We will aide you when the man of illusions returns."

With that, he disappeared, going back into Ichigo's inner world. "Whoa.." was all Ichigo could say as he felt himself. "Ossan has really cool techniques." Ichigo felt something of a smug feeling coming from him.

Shiro seemed to pout for the barest of moments, which was, thankfully missed by Ichigo, before he thought of how to one up the old man. Snapping his fingers, he smiled in triumph. **"Got it. Lean in close, Ichigo, 'cause this one's a secret."** Ichigo eagerly did so, making the observing Yoruichi all the more curious. Previously, even while outside of the barrier, she was reading their lips. Now, she couldn't even do that.

Ichigo's eyes widened when Shiro told him what he could do. "Are you shittin' me!? I could've done that the whole time!?"

Laughing, Shiro nodded. **"Yup! Wouldn't have been much training if you just dragged out your hollow powers whenever things got hard, though! If you NEED to, you can, but I still think you should avoid it. C'mon, try it out! Won't do you much good if your shell-shocked on the battlefield the moment you use it."**

Ichigo nodded, reaching his hand up to his face. Tearing his hand down, red and white reiatsu followed it, which solidified into a mask with two stripes going over his eye holes. He didn't notice it, but his sclera turned black while his irides turned gold.

Ichigo's eye widened when he felt his power skyrocket. "Whoa..."

Shiro nodded. **"Yeah, I know. That's been growing too, though not as much. Just saying, but with every fight, your shinigami power shoots up. You could definitely beat Kenpachi if you took that seal off, but with this mask, you don't even need bankai to stand up to another taicho's bankai."**

Pushing the mask off abd letting it disperse into wisps of reiatsu, Ichigo threw his arm around his partner. "You rock, Shiro. I just hope you know that."

Laughing, Shiro returned the gesture. **"I know I do, but thanks anyway."** They ended up doing a little dance and everything before they realized that everyone was staring at them. Clearing their throats simultaneously, they bid each other goodbye and Shiro went back into Ichigo's inner world.

He walked back over to them, completely straight-faced. "You saw nothing."

Ganju stuttered out, "B-but..." but was cut off by Ichigo.

"You. Saw. NOTHING."

Inoue, looking rather scared, was the one to make him crack. "You had a... h-hollow mask."

Ichigo, realizing what they were talking about, felt a sense of relief. "Oh, the mask. Well, I'm part hollow, so it makes sense I have one, yeah?"

This time, it was Hanataro who spoke up. "B-but... how?"

"Oh yeah," Ichigo remembered, "You don't know. Well, my pops was a shinigami, and my kaa-chan... well, that's a secret."

Ishida, in shock, asked, "Your mother was a hollow!?"

It was Ichigo's turn to be shocked. "What!? No, no, no, no. My mom was... ah, fuck it, let's just say that a hollow soul latched onto mine while I was in the womb, so now I'm part hollow, part shinigami. To be honest, it's a good thing I didn't go to soul society after I died, or they would've probably killed me. Am I right, Hanataro?" The still scared shinigami nodded in assent, knowing they'd do just that, even if it wasn't his fault.

"Well," Ichigo continued, "I look like this because I'm suppressing the hollow part of me, but I can draw on it in a pinch. I don't wanna, but I can. With that, my power more than doubles, as that part of me is stronger than my shinigami powers, so I can take on a taicho other than Kenpachi-taicho or Aizen-taicho now. Bankai would be preferred, but I'll have this as my ace until then." Suddenly, Ichigo's seriousness level increased by a lot. "Just know that if I use it, you guys need to leave immediately. Whoever warrants THAT is beyond any of you right now."

They all nodded with some level of trepidation, sans Yoruichi, who was very impressed with the power he wielded. She didn't say anything, but she really hoped he stayed as pure as he was. _'Not that he's all that pure, but he isn't a bad person, and I hope, for all our sake, that he doesn't get drunk with power.'_

Ichigo looked up at the grate and noticed that a large amount of time had passed. "Okay, I'm checking up on you guys in less that three hours, so get to it. I don't expect leaps and bounds, but I want visible improvement in all of you." His commander-like tone was back, making them straighten up before getting back to work.

Ichigo sat down, this time on the water, just to practice his control, and started activating and deactivating Blut Arterie and Blut Vene randomly while thinking of how many ways things could go, what unknowns he would face. Well, he did that after instructing Inoue to put up a barrier around him, in order to train herself.

 _'I know about Gin's power, which is extending his sword really fast. I can probably keep up with that using sonido a bunch. Aizen is illusions, but, with help, I can cast them away. Zaraki is just a power-house, and I can just beat him at his own game... hopefully. Hitsugaya has control over ice. I can only assume he's pulling it from the air around us, too, so I should be careful with him. A well placed cero can knock him out, though.'_

Now, he was entering unknown territory. _'Okay, so there are nine others that I have no clue about. If I run any captain that manages to be faster than me with power on that same level, as unlikely as that is, then the whole group is fucked. At least one power tends to be a double edged sword, just because powers are dumb like that, so I'm gonna hope we run into him, if any of the taicho I don't know of. If Tousen is in league with Aizen, he's definitely strong enough, so I don't wanna go through that.'_

He spent the next few hours sitting there, completely still, much to the surprise of his friends, as he'd never seemed to be one for meditation to them. Unknown to them, this was only because his mind was going a thousand kilometers an hour, trying its damnedest to figure out how to get everyone out of this alive. If one thing didn't change when he died, it was that he'd rather save anyone he liked.

Sadly, he didn't see much way for him to pull it off. _'Even if we do this, and get her out, the taicho will know exactly where we are, and I KNOW we don't have enough collective speed to out-speed them all. I'd probably end up trying to stall all of them alone, and that probably wouldn't end too well, but I have the best chance out of anyone here. Sado would kill himself, Ishida would get slaughtered the moment he stopped moving, Inoue isn't even a fighter, nor are Ganju and Hanataro. I have no clue about Yoruichi, but I'll assume she isn't, if she hasn't helped at this point.'_

Ichigo sighed suddenly, the first sound anyone had heard from him in hours, and opened his eyes, looking up at the grate nearest to them. He couldn't see the sun too well, so he looked to one that went straight up. He found that the sun was right above them.

Nodding, Ichigo moved to the others. "Okay, time." They all stopped what they were doing at that moment, which made Ichigo happy his word was followed so well. First, he addressed Yoruichi, who'd already taken up residence on his head the moment he got there. "How far have they gotten with shunpo?"

"Ganju has a talent for this," she began, making him puff out his chest, "but he's still sub-par at it." And then she crushed his pride. "At best, he could hide with it for a little, but it's sluggish and easy to follow by captain standards. Hanataro, on the other hand, actually has a chance at getting away from a captain, albeit a rather small one. He's grown in leaps and bounds in just the last three hours." Ganju sent a slightly venomous look at the blushing 7th seat of the 4th Division.

Ichigo, on the other hand, was surprised. "Damn, you're a better teacher than I thought." He had no idea. "That's good, though. Ishida, same grate... now." With that, Ishida was off, getting back in about 3/4 the time he'd taken before. "Better, but you still have a small opening when you stop to turn around. Work on making that seamless. Your turn, Chad."

The gentle giant nodded, buzzing away and coming back in the same amount of time as Ishida. "Good. You've gotten rather good at that pretty quickly. Told you it'd come naturally. Now, Inoue, how long could you hold it before taking a break?"

She perked up at being addressed by the currently very commanding Ichigo. "Uh, I was going for around 40 minutes until you stopped us. My best was... uh, 45 minutes? Yeah, that sounds right. 45 minutes."

Nodding, Ichigo praised her. "Good, good. Well, I think we should attempt to break this friend of yours out after you've all rested for an hour or so. Take a break and we'll get moving soon." Ganju grumbled something about being ordered around by a shinigami, which Ichigo caught. "Would you rather get ordered around by a talking cat, Ganju? Because that's your alternative." Ganju didn't say anything. "Thought so."

An hour later, they'd all had a single ration bar each and were ready to go. Ichigo was leaning against the wall, waiting for them to go with his eyes closed when he realized no one was moving. Opening his eyes, he saw them all looking at him. "What?"

Yoruichi was the one to explain. "You'd taken charge earlier, Ichigo, and they expect you to keep it up. You've been rather effective as a leader." Ganju grumbled inaudibly, but didn't deny it.

Sighing, Ichigo walked towards the group. "Alright, fine. Gimme a sec, though..." Exiting the sewer for a moment, Ichigo looked around for where the tower they were headed for was. Finding it, he marked the direction in his mind as he dropped back into the sewer.

"Alright, follow. We're getting as close as we can before going above ground." With that, Ichigo began to walk, trying to be ever mindful of where the tower was in relation to them. Remembering his track record on navigating ever since he'd gotten here, he took peaks outside every once in a while, which saved him from going to far down a path a few times.

Eventually, they reached an area where the sewers stopped. Looking to the group, he asked, "You guys sense anything above us, 'cause I don't." They all shook their heads, so Ichigo just opened the closest manhole covered and climbed out, the rest behind him.

Ganju tried to close it, but found the cover REALLY heavy. With a deadpan look on his face, Ichigo said, "Really, Ganju?"

He glared at Ichigo. "How about YOU try movin' this thing!? It weighs a frickin' ton!"

Ichigo walked over, picked it up, then twirled it on his finger like it weighed nothing. "No, your arms are just noodles. Besides, I moved it to get out here, remember? Also, ahem... Do you even lift, bro?" Chuckling at the now fuming, and somewhat embarrassed, Ganju, he placed the cap back in its place before looking around.

To his surprise, he felt a sudden reiatsu behind them, which he whirled around to face at the same time as Yoruichi and Ishida, the most sensitive of the other three Ryoka. Walking towards them was a man with black face-paint and white haori over his shihakusho. He had a white... something on his head, and none of them really cared what it was.

What they really cared about was the man's reiatsu. It was massive, and pouring out of him. Their collective thought was, in essence, _'How did he hide that much from us!?'_ Well, all of them but Ichigo and Yoruichi, as they knew that one could hide almost any amount of reiatsu with enough control.

Before any of them could say anything, the man spoke. "You know, I wouldn't have cared about any of you too much... if you had no relation to THAT man." He cocked his head while looking at the group. "Well... I may want to study some of you. Especially you, Kurosaki Ichigo. Madarame-san imparted some delicious information on your identity earlier today, and even you, Yasutora Sado. I'd very much like to see your arm." Ichigo's eyes widened when he heard that, but he stored it for later consideration.

Placing his hand on the sword he, oddly enough, kept between his legs, he slowly pulled up. As he drew it, he made sure to cock his head to the side. "I don't mind JUST taking back your arm, though, Yasutora-san, but a full subject would be best. The rest of you... don't interest me. Disappear." As the sword's hilt reached all the way up to his face, he twisted his head all the way to the side. "Kakimushire, Ashisogi Jizo(Tear them apart, Leg-severing Ksitigarbha)."

The katana morphed into a crooked, golden trident with a face at the guard of the newly formed shikai blade. He stared at all of them at the same time he made the face of the blade look in their direction. "Just stay still... and let me cut you."

* * *

Was considering ending it there, but I'm feeling nice.

* * *

Ichigo blinked at the line. "Now, why would we do that? And who the fuck're you, anyway!?" Ganju nodded behind him, in full agreement to the line.

It was the man's turn to blink, though his was more in surprise. "Ah, I didn't introduce myself, did I. How rude of me. Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Taicho of Squad 12 and Head of Research and Development Bureau. And why wouldn't you just make this easy? If I don't cut you down, one of the others will. It would be so much easier for you to just let it happen now. This way most of you die peacefully, we can put the rest to trial for killing a taicho, and I can get live test subjects. We all win, see?" He saw them staring so he tried to sweeten the deal. "Tell you what, I'll stay away from most body altering experiments and even feed you. How about now?"

None of them could tell if he was serious or not, so they assumed he was and responded in kind. Ganju began laughing before pointing his finger at the man. "YOU'RE FUCKING NUTS!" Ishida nodded in assent, while Inoue looked a bit queasy at the thought of all those who'd suffered at his hands, a thought process that Sado evidently shared, if his clenched hands were any indicator.

Both Ishida and Ichigo ignored the man's thought process completely, having enough experience dealing with the crazy ones, and Yoruichi dealt with Urahara far to much to NOT be used to it by now. Instead they looked at each other, a silent question passing between them.

Ishida pushed his glasses up and stepped forward. "I'll handle this one, Kurosaki, and that's final. It's too early to take you out of the game."

Inoue, steeling her resolve, stepped up next to him, a fire in her eyes no one had seen before. "I'm ready, too." Inside, she was a bit disappointed in herself. _'I barely managed to do anything when we faced Abarai-san. I refuse to be useless! I won't leave all the fighting to my friends; I can fight too!'_

Once the initial shock of seeing her so fired up wore off, Ichigo grinned. "Alright, but try not to die. I might be too busy to bail you out." With that, he began jogging toward the tower.

A few minutes later, they encountered an open area with an exit at the other end. Running for it, they all froze when they felt an oppressive reiatsu press down on all of them, far more threatening that the previous taicho's.

A gruff voice went through the clearing, one that was dripping with enough blood-lust that Ichigo swore he was listening to Nnoitra. "Been waitin' on ya, Kurosaki. Took you so long to reach me; hope you don't let me down, now."

Ichigo's head snapped toward the top of a building, where he saw a silhouette of a rather familiar figure with spiky hair. Sighing, Ichigo told the rest of them to go on. "I'll catch up in a moment, but this one wants me. He won't care about the rest of you, even if you try and stop him." Drawing his swords, Ichigo wordlessly released them, bringing out their cleaver like shapes.

Ganju and Hanataro were far too scared at that moment to do anything but nod and shunpo away, a sighing Sado and Yoruichi not far behind them. Before he left, Sado looked back and said one thing. "Be careful."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. _'I should be saying that to him, but I appreciate the sentiment.'_ Once they were gone, Ichigo closed his eyes before his face morphed into a manic grin. _'I guess it's okay to have fun with these if I can, right?'_ "Kenpachi Zaraki, right?" The man with the little girl on his back grinned really wide when he saw Ichigo's face. "If you don't remember me, I'll make sure to carve my memory into your bones, Kenpachi."

Zaraki began to laugh. "Gahahaha! I hope you can back those words up, Ichigo!" He glanced at the little girl on his shoulder. "Sorry Yachiru, but I must rampage now."

She nodded cheerily. "Sure thing, Ken-chan!" With that, she blurred off his shoulder with shunpo, landing right next to Ichigo. "Make sure to give Kenny a good fight, 'kay Strawberry-tan."

Ichigo laughed. "Sure thing, little girl."

Once Yachiru had perched herself on top of a building in order to observe the fight, Zaraki grinned before opening his shirt. "I'll give you the first shot, Ichigo. Your reiatsu is pretty low right now- even I can tell- so I'll be generous."

Ichigo raised a brow. "Oh? My reiatsu is low, you say? Gimme a sec... Gentei Kaiho." The skull marking on his collar disappeared and his reiatsu skyrocketed. The ground around him was shaking from the amount of reiatsu pouring off him at that moment, which made Zaraki grin. "Still low, Zaraki?" He grinned in return, though it was likely for different reasons. He realized that he wasn't even flaring his reiatsu; this was just it rising back to normal.

The very hollow like man laughed. "Gahahaha! You don't disappoint, Kurosaki!" He pulled his shihakusho back together before drawing his sword. "Fine then. COME ON! ICHIGO!" He dashed at Ichigo, glowing a golden yellow and smiling like a demon.

Ichigo responded in kind, dashing at him, swords poised to enter his stomach. And enter it they did, to Ichigo's surprise. His surprise turned into panic as Zaraki kept going, trying to shove his sword through Ichigo's face.

Thankfully, Ichigo wrenched his head to the side at the last moment, only getting a deep cut across his nose instead of anything battle ending. Still smiling, Ichigo brought his sword up to attempt to lop off Zaraki's arm, though he was kicked in the chest.

Ichigo, once he'd regained his bearings from the rather powerful kick, jumped to the side on pure instinct, a sword slashing across his cheek at that very moment. Bringing his swords up, he blocked a viscous onslaught from Zaraki.

At one point or another, he began swinging back. Due to having two swords and using about the same amount of strength in each as Zaraki, he managed to push the taicho back after a short while, overwhelming him with attacks that were a lot like his own and twice as plentiful.

Eventually, they locked swords, both of their hands shaking slightly as they struggled for dominance and stared at each other at the same time, their grins never having left their faces.

Ichigo had to chuckle, despite his situation. "You're a lot better than Ikkaku, you know. You can actually last against me at full power! Did you get stronger or somethin'?"

Zaraki returned his laugh. "Nah, but I know how you're feelin', kid! When nothin' 'round you is good enough, so you have to handicap yourself to feel the thrill, right!?"

Ichigo actually had to think about that for a moment. Only a moment, though. _'If I went full force at the beginning of every fight, they'd end far too quickly. Even Baraggan wouldn't have been that hard if I'd bothered to really use sonido... This guy knows his shit.'_ Ichigo grinned at him and nodded, acknowledging how right he was.

"Gahahaha!" Zaraki laughed in what sounded like joy. "I knew you'd understand, Ichigo! Now that you're smaller, you can truly fight! And I can get a chance to have some..." He paused and leaned his head towards Ichigo's blade, using its edge to cut the strap of his eye-patch. "REAL FUN!" With the eye patch gone, Zaraki's reiatsu skyrocketed, his body wreathed in a pillar of golden reiatsu.

Ichigo jumped back at that, genuinely shocked. "The fuck!?" Zaraki only laughed. Tentatively, Ichigo asked a question that popped into his head as he felt the man's reiatsu. "A-Are you a hollow?"

At once, the pillar dissipated. Taking his sword and giving it an experimental swing to the side, he grinned as the building in the direction he swung was split. He turned his head to Ichigo, grin still firmly in place. "Nah. Why do you ask?"

Shrugging, Ichigo just readied his swords. "I guess it doesn't matter what you are. You're strong, and that's all that really matters right now." Flaring his reiatsu and creating a similar pillar for a moment as he went all out, he began to swing his swords by their bandages. "Sorry to say this- I really am- but I'm strapped for time, Kenpachi. So, right here, right now, come at me with everything. I'll take it all and return it..." The pillar dissipated as he caught his swords, their edges gleaming. If someone looked closely at his eyes, they'd see black beginning to bleed into his sclera. "...ten-fold!"

Zaraki stared at him for a little before he began to chuckle. It grew and grew before, eventually, it was just full-blown, maniacal laughter. "You're talkin' some good shit right there, Ichigo! Fine, I'll end it all right here! If you die, come back as a ghost and try to fight me again!" With that, Zaraki took off towards Ichigo.

After a moment of nostalgia at the line, Ichigo nodded, returning the favor. When they met, the explosion that resulted made a crater out of the entire area. If someone was looking from above, they likely would've seen the clash of reiatsu, which lasted for a good few seconds before a pillar of blue blasted away the yellow.

Ichigo stood, bent over a bloody but smiling Zaraki as he panted, regaining his breath. Mentally, Shiro was complaining about the amount of reiatsu Ichigo poured into the Getsuga Tensho he released at the moment of impact. **_'Really, Ichigo!? Again!? You know, I'm probably gonna be sore for the next hour!'_** Ichigo just ignored him in favor of straightening out and turning away.

"Thanks for the fight, Zaraki. Haven't let loose like that in a while." As he began to walk away, he stumbled, clutching his bloody side with a grimace. Zaraki's blade had entered his abdomen and been ripped out of his side brutally when Zaraki fell, though Zaraki's wounds had been worse.

One of Ichigo's blades had come up and readily entered his midsection, cutting into a lung. The other had come down on his shoulder, cutting deep into it, which only got worse when he released the Getsuga Tenshou he was building up. Ichigo knew he'd cut past a few bones, at least, and likely entered the same lung as his other sword had. The man could live, if he got medical attention ASAP.

And it seemed like he would get it, as the pink haired girl he was with jumped in with a blur of shunpo. "Thanks for giving Ken-chan such a good fight, Berry-tan! I'm sure he'd like to fight you again sometime, so make sure you find him again! Good luck!" And with that, the extremely bubbly girl disappeared, leaving an injured Ichigo in a crater with a pool of blood that wasn't his and one that was his and was still growing.

Scowling at the wound, he stemmed the bleeding with Blut Vene and let his Instant Regeneration go to work, draining him of his reiatsu at a slightly faster rate than he was able to replenish at that point. Due to the nature of his wound, it would actually take a little while to repair itself, much to his displeasure. Sadly, he didn't dare reseal his power in his current state, as it might make him bleed out or something, so he was stuck like that for a while. Instead, he just sealed both Zangetsu and felt the draining and replenishing rates balance out, as the difference was only slight.

Ichigo shook his head, ignoring the pain as best he could and buzzed out of the area with sonido once he managed to locate his friends through the haze that was his reiatsu at that moment.

* * *

A while earlier- Ishida's fight

* * *

Once the rest of them began to leave, Ishida formed a bow in his gloved hand, taking aim at the taicho. Said taicho just sighed. "I have no interest in you two... wait, you're a Quincy, aren't you, boy?"

Ishida nodded shortly, prepared to release a salvo of arrows at any second. "My name is Ishida Uryu, Kurotsuchi-san." With that, he disappeared with Hirenkyaku, appearing to be in multiple places at once to anyone unused to such speeds.

Sadly, Mayuri wasn't a taicho for nothing. He was able to follow the movements with ease, tracking Ishida with almost bored eyes. "Hmm... Hirenkyaku, yes? You're rather good at it for someone so young, but I've already studied enough Quincy subjects to know your techniques and skills. Many were older than you, you know? Far more skilled, too."

This only pushed Ishida to go faster, and release more arrows. It became a constant bombardment of arrows at the speeds he was going, actually pushing himself to go fast enough that Mayuri had to try to keep up and block all of them. Unfortunately, he was still able to keep up.

And, eventually, Ishida began to slow down. Even his enhanced endurance from training with his Sanrei Glove had limits, ones which he was currently very aware of. Slowly but steadily, and very noticeably, he began to slow down, his arrows getting weaker.

At one point, Mayuri apparently began to tire of what a farce the battle had become, in his opinion. With a simple shunpo, he appeared behind Ishida, who was shocked by his sudden disappearance. It was his first real move from that spot since they'd begun. As such, he wasn't prepared for the golden spike that came down on his shoulder.

Or at least would've, if Inoue hadn't shouted "Santen Kesshun!" right as it was nearing his shoulder, blocking it with a orange barrier.

Mayuri glanced over to her with narrowed eyes. "Hmm? Well, that's certainly an interesting ability you have there. Similar to our barrier Kido, but it feels... different." Ignoring Ishida completely, he turned to her. "How about you become my test subject as well, hmm? Much easier than dying by any of us, don't you think? I promise I won't alter your body in anyway, and I'll restrict any hormonal testing to weekends. How about it?"

Ishida didn't take too well to being ignored, though, so he brought out a scheele sneider, the "stake" that Ichigo had recognized in the ground earlier, and lopped off Mayuri's arm. "You shouldn't turn your back on your opponent, Mayuri-san."

With that, he transported himself over to Inoue with a quick use of Hirenkyaku, as Mayuri had whirled around in an attempt to decapitate him, and pulled the "sword" into his bow, launching it at Mayuri's head for a killing blow.

Sadly, the girl that was with him chose to move at that moment, jumping in the way of the arrow and taking it through her body, directly through her left lung. Mayuri glanced around, realizing that he'd been gotten, and saw his fukutaicho on the ground, an arrow in her. "Hmm, I knew you'd be useful for something, Nemu. Now get up and subdue the girl while I deal with the Quincy."

She coughed as she dragged herself into a sitting position, blood flying out of her mouth. "M-may I please r-receive medical t-treatment first, Kurotsuchi-sama? The a-arrow pierced m-my lung, and I f-fear I may cease functioning if I c-continue like this."

For reasons unknown to either Ishida or Inoue, he seemed to get extremely angry at that, even going as far as to stomp on her legs. "ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THIS BODY IS INCAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING THIS PALTRY AMOUNT OF DAMAGE, NEMU!?" He continued to stomp on her until she stopped responding. "Tch, worthless."

Softly, Nemu responded. "A-Apologies, Kurotsuchi-sama."

Ishida seemingly snapped out of his appalled trance as he saw him going to bend down to her. "What are you doing to your subordinate!?" Inoue was in full agreement, though she could barely express it through her wide eyes.

Mayuri, on the other hand, just scoffed. "Don't seek to hold me by your standards. What I do with my own property is my business and mine alone." The further widening of their eyes was enough of an indicator of what they were thinking for Mayuri. "Yes, I created this," as he said that, he grabbed Nemu by the neck and lifted her up, "worthless life. And what I do with her is my business. Her full name is Kurotruchi Nemu, and you may consider he my daughter, if it suits you. I care not."

He dropped her on the ground carelessly, unknowingly knocking her out this time. "I grow tired of this farce. Bankai, Konjiki Ashosigi Jizo." He began to glow, but, unknown to him, the anger that was born in Inoue at that moment glowed infinitely brighter.

"TSUBAKI!" A glowing cross shot out of her pins, easily severing Mayuri's other arm from his body and halting the process of his bankai's activation. It didn't stop there, though. Despite the following attacks being no where near as brutal, they proceeded to cripple him further, bloodying him easily in her quest for blood. After a while, she began to cut off limbs again, this time taking a leg. After a while of taking her time to cut him again, she took the other leg.

Ishida could only look on in shock as Inoue, calm, sweet Inoue, took on, and thoroughly trounced a taicho. She'd always seemed to be the weakest of the group, but now... _'Now, she's kicking ass... What the hell just happened to her!?'_

She walked over him, a furious expression on her face. "How could you do that to another person!? To your own DAUGHTER!?" She didn't even give him a chance to respond, though it probably wasn't even a conscious decision at that point. Tsubaki was just responding to her will now, and right now she was far beyond the point of just angry. Furious seemed tame, and lusting for his blood seemed to lack something that described her at that moment. She wanted to hurt him. Badly. And Tsubaki followed through.

Instead, Tsubaki, her only offensive power, proceeded to dominate him one final time, slamming into his stomach hard enough to make a small crater in the ground, and leave a hole in the man-turned-torso.

As he lay on his back, helpless and in pain far beyond the point of excruciating, he attempted to speak. "Y-yo-" He couldn't even get out a syllable without coughing up a glob of blood by this point. Instead, after giving her the most hate-filled stare he could muster, he turned into purple goo that slithered away sluggishly, though Ishida's finishing arrows just passed through him.

Once that was all over, Inoue slowly calmed down, her breathing evening out before reality slowly dawned on her and she realized what she just did. She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. "I-I just..." Tears began to stream down her eyes as she tried to cope with the violent outburst she just had. It was against everything she believed, everything she tried to be. She hated fighting, she hated violence. She hated that this whole situation had to be solved this way, but understood that it was the only way. The only reason she was even there was to help her friends, not to hurt anyone else.

Ishida, once he realized that something was happening, that something was wrong, rushed to her side. "Inoue? Are you... alright..." Even before he finished asking the question, he could see that the answer was no.

* * *

A/N: Imma be an asshole and stop it there. Oh, I feel a bit evil about doing that, but the moment was just so right. Sorry about that(I'm only saying that. I can't find it in myself to actually be sorry about that.). Well, anyway, I'll end things.

For this chapter, we have quite a bit to go over. If I had to gauge Ichigo's max power right now, he could take on Komamura, Zaraki, and Hitsugaya all at once, while they were using bankai... except Zaraki, since, well, you know. Once he achieves bankai, well... he'll be able to force Old Man Genocide to put in a good amount of effort to put him down, though I don't think bankai would be required. So, once that happens, Byakuya is gonna be, while not quite a cake-walk, the equivalent of Ikkaku to his full power right now. Easily beaten if he doesn't give the guy a chance to use bankai... or if he doesn't use it, like Ikkaku.

Now, Ichigo's full release phrase hasn't been stated, but he's definitely gonna be using it eventually. Imma drop a spoiler and say he's gonna say the full thing when he faces Kyoraku and Ukitake, who he'll be facing at once.

Ikkaku DOES have bankai at this point in time, if you're wondering, but he didn't use it because a scouting party could've come along and seen it, or people would've been sent to see who released bankai level strength before the taicho were mobilized. Speaking of the scouting parties, though, that's what saved Ikkaku. He got rushed to Unohana, who took care of him personally. I'm not sure if I'll go over that, so I'll say it now.

Now, I hope you liked the Orihime part at the end, because I think she doesn't get enough of a chance to shine in the actual series. I figure you thought Ishida would release his Sanrei glove, kick the crap out of Mayuri, and then get his abilities restored by her, huh? Well, NOPE! I feel like she could've been a powerhouse in the series, so she will be here. Seriously, she has powers that trespass on the territory of a god, and that's just her restorative abilities. Imagine how good her OFFENSE could get!? Damn. Kubo missed a pretty big opportunity with that one.

Also, since his Sanrei glove ISN'T coming off now, Ishida will be able to grow at an exponential rate in the series from this point on. I'm also working on a theory of how the glove really gets rid of a Quincy's power, one specifically for this story, just so I can have him remove it somehow later on and be able to retain his powers without Inoue's help.

Speaking of Ishida, I'm thinking of pairing him with Nemu. So feel free to give a yay or nay on that. Also considering killing off Mayuri, due to him being such an ass, though I'm wondering who to replace him with. If you think an OC would be good, then feel free to say so. I might even accept OC submissions, if the notion receives positive support(I'm neutral on killing him off and replacing him with an OC, to be honest).Otherwise, I'm thinking of putting Urahara back in, just to screw with the Gotei 13. I already have a lot of paths this story could take planned out, so the little things I'm dropping here are nothing, by the way.

I think that's about enough for now, though. Instead, I shall move onto review responses. Note, I'm only gonna do the previous chapter's reviews that come in before this one is posted. Even if I update the chapter, I doubt I'll go and respond to every extra review that it gets, so I recommend keeping the reviews to the most recent chapter... which is this one, if you're reading this when it's posted... Lemme just move on.

* * *

Review Responses

* * *

Drama Llama-Sama: Thanks! I must say, your guess is so close to it that I might change it to fit yours. I will say that I've dropped hints to it during his time as a hollow, and especially after a transformation. Even this chapter has some substantial hints. As for my opinion on adding Kukaku, well, I'd intended to anyway, but I then realized that incest would be a thing in that scenario. The drinking scene was more to introduce it/inspire the thought and see how people reacted.

Now, I'm glad you agree about Ichigo just flaring his reiatsu and scaring the piss out of anyone who even looks at him the wrong way, so I'm not making him use it all the time, at least not right now. As he is, his hollow part is suppressed, so I'm gonna say his instincts aren't as "in your face" as they were before. When he unseals it, I'll have to think of another excuse... wait, I already got one. Never mind.

Overall, well, I'm glad you liked the comedy, as that tends to be how I do things around here. You know, sprinkle some of that on just about every story I do. The errors happen from time to time, but I'm glad they don't kill the story for you. Thanks for reading!

Lightningblade49: For the record, I love your name. Anyway, that's what I was going for. Since they're together, it makes it easier to get to their target, which will force the Gotei 13 to react with more force. That will become obvious soon, trust me.

PredatorPuck: Hmm, I wonder about that... How many girls will just instantly want a piece of the hollow, shinigami, quincy hybrid that holds enough power to kill taicho with a single, concentrated blast and can suffocate her while angry... without noticing it. He won't be all too social anyway, so it'll stay somewhat reasonable, though I tend to be a little generous. Go big or go home, if you ask me. Seriously, though, it won't be fifty girls. Not even half that.

hornet07: Yeah, that's what I was thinking. So, I made him do it. As for the harem members, well, I have the perfect opportunity for one of them next chapter, and I have a path that can easily take me to the other. I like the idea, though, so I'll probably do it.

As for his aspect, don't worry. I feel like the whole guardian thing is more than a bit over done. His won't make him a guardian or anything, though he could easily fall into that role with what it will be. You'll understand eventually. Oh, and I do intend to make an expansion on canon for the aspects, because I saw some serious potential there. Hopefully, I don't forget.

Crofty666: Hmm... there's an idea for my next hollow Ichigo fic, but that's not his aspect this time around. As for the harem members you suggested... I'm not sure. Nel, as much as I like her, also seems a little overdone, regardless of how much I love her. I'll have to think on it. As for Kukaku, well, that's two votes, to combine with mine. She's in! I could legitimately do the whole "every single girl in the series" thing, but then I'd feel bad for the rest of the dudes. Probably won't but it'll be hard for me NOT to, now that you've put it in my head... shit

* * *

And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading, enjoy your lives, don't commit suicide, homicide, genocide, please spray your home with pesticide, and enjoy my story's ride. Laters... god that was lame. Just... leave me to wallow in shame after that.


	6. Taicho-Level Only! Scrubs begone!

A/N: Ah, I return! Sorry about the delay, but my classes have taken up my time and the year is still just getting started. Seriously, though, digital electronics class... fucking hexidecimal (Condolences to those who understand the struggle.). Anyway, thanks for the support so far! I'll address reviews at the end of this, but, at least so far, you guys seem okay with me killing off Mayuri, so I'll just go ahead and do that. Next chapter, though.

* * *

Ichigo walked towards the opening, ignoring the hole in his side as he went. For some reason, he felt the urge to go back. _'That taicho's reiatsu is gone... but they aren't moving. He didn't release it- I would've felt that - so why are they still there... Don't make me come bail you out, guys... who am I kidding, that's exactly what I'm gonna do.'_ He ignored Shiro's scoff and turned around, disappearing in a buzz of sonido, much to his wound's displeasure.

A few bursts later, he appeared above them. "Okay, what the... fuck... happened..." He saw Inoue on her knees, crying, Ishida trying to figure out what to do, another girl he didn't know unconscious a few feet away, and a blob of purple slime slithering away. _'Gonna just take this one in stride...'_ Walking over to them, he just asked. "What the fuck?"

Ishida glanced up at him before jerking his head towards Inoue with a glare, as if to say he was being a bit insensitive.

Ichigo got the message and sighed. _'I hate emotional moments.'_ Kneeling down next to the currently unresponsive Inoue, he gave his best attempt. "Inoue?" He got no response, making him sigh. Putting his hand on her head, which made her freeze up, her shivering stopping abruptly.

Gently, he moved her head so that she was looking at him, though she quickly averted her gaze. "Look at me, Inoue." He didn't say anything until she did, which happened a full minute later in the silence that had followed. "What happened? You guys won, didn't you?" Behind him, Ishida's hand impacted with his face so hard, ICHIGO felt it.

She began to shiver again and her tears redoubled their effort to exit her eye. "I-I..." She lost her ability to form a coherent sentence... again.

Looking up to Ishida for answers, Ichigo did his best to comfort her by rubbing small circles in her back, something he remembered his mother doing way back when. He got the answers in the form of a hurried recap on the part of Ishida, which he was very thankful for.

Turning to the now slightly calmer Inoue, he stopped to think of how to handle the situation. _'Ugh, I hate this emotions shit. Things would be so much simpler if I could solve all my problems by cutting them down...'_

Zangetsu, both of them, had some ideas, though Shiro's weren't the most... viable. After settling on something to try, the best option he'd gotten from the two, he asked Inoue, "Do you feel bad about it, Inoue?"

She nodded shakily. "That's good. You didn't even kill him and you feel bad. But you gotta understand, Inoue, some people need to be put down. HARD. That man was one of them. When you endanger another's well-being, yours is forfeit. When you endanger another life, yours is forfeit. That's what I used to believe... You're such a good person, you know that? A lot better than me. I wouldn't have let him live after that, you know. I wouldn't have felt bad afterwards, either. If anything, I'd be rather happy."

He stopped, letting his words sink in, but then he thought of something to say on his own, this time without any help. "Don't ever change, Inoue, please." He pulled her into a hug, which made her freeze up then relax. "But can you do something for me?"

Once more, she nodded shakily, though she was much better at this point. "Don't hesitate to do this again." He felt her tense up again. "Don't stop so easily, either." She began to shake again. "And don't stop caring about them. Even the ones that attack you. You're like an angel, but even angels have a point where they have to fight. Unless you can fight back, your shield will break eventually, and you'll be left open to this world. And they will pounce on you like wolves."

He pulled back and stared at her. "Look at me." She did so much easier now. "Think of what you could become if you stopped caring, little by little. Power with nothing to guide it is liable to turn on any and everything, even its wielder. Your powers are enormous, so never stop caring, Inoue. If you care this much, then you'll know when someone needs to go, and when someone could... SHOULD be saved. And you'll use that power for what you see is right, however you think you should."

He paused. "I'm barely holding it together right now, you know. It'd be much easier for me to just tear through this place and everyone in it, literally mind you, blowing through anyone who bothers to try and stop me. But I'm not, because part of me thinks I shouldn't, the part that survived Hueco Mundo... But I bet that kind of thought never even crossed your mind. Over the past two years of killing and consuming my own kind for power, for sustenance, I've stopped caring about what's between me and any goal, I've become willing to kill just about anything. I don't want you to become like that, Inoue."

He let go of her and got up, her eyes following him. "Don't die, but make sure you remember what you're doing whenever you fight back, Inoue. Don't start enjoying it as much as I do. You don't get to go back to how you were before."

He turned away, then, ready to go. "Now, let's go; we don't have all day. Guilt has its place, and the battlefield isn't it."

Ishida wasn't done, though. "Wait, Kurosaki. Just one question this time... was all of that true?"

He turned just his head back to them, only enough that one eye was visible to them. Said eye was black with a golden iris. "Remember that quote from our teacher. "Demons don't cry. Humans cry until they run out of tears... then become demons." I used up all my tears early on in Hueco Mundo, Ishida. They have no place there." When his eyes returned to normal, he turned away and began walking. "They're getting pretty far, now. Close to the tower, if my senses are to be trusted. We can talk about this another time, but, for now, we have to go." His commanding voice came back when he felt that neither of them were moving. "NOW."

Ishida wasn't quite done yet, though. "What about her?" he asked, gesturing to the unconscious Nemu.

Sighing, Ichigo leaned against a wall. "Do as you will. Just know that the others are getting closer to your friend, and that means the chances of encountering a taicho are going up every second."

He nodded before going over to Inoue. "Would you mind helping her?" She nodded, glad for something to do which would, in her mind, redeem herself a bit.

Once she was done, Nemu woke up, and, oddly, the first thing she did was call out, "Kurotsuchi-sama?"

Ishida shook his head, the motion catching her eye. "He's been... defeated." He saw a bit of panic in her eyes. "He retreated, though."

Nemu then grew confused as to why she was alive. "Why do I live, if Kurotsuchi-sama has been defeated and I was insensate? Should you not have ended me?"

Ichigo scoffed, but didn't say anything. Instead, Ishida was the one to speak. "We don't kill unless we need to." A bigger scoff from Ichigo. "You are no threat to us, as we are already near our goal, and your master isn't here. Go find him, wherever he slithered off to... though I don't know why you serve someone like him so faithfully."

He got up, leaving the confused Nemu. "I will leave you with some advice. If you want to serve someone, make sure they are worthy of your service. A cruel master doesn't deserve to be a master." With that, he began to walk over to Ichigo. "We can go now."

Ichigo sighed in relief. "Thank go-"

He was cut off by Nemu. "Wait."

A string of curses left Ichigo's mouth before he turned to her. "Yes?" he responded with poorly concealed impatience.

"My apologies for keeping you, but if I may ask... who should I serve, then? Kurotsuchi-sama is my creator, and I was created to serve... It's my purpose." For some reason, that line made Ichigo's eyes soften, though he didn't act on it. He just gestured for Ishida to handle it.

Ishida was a bit caught off guard with the question, so he didn't have a proper answer. As such, he gave an ambiguous one. Pushing up his glasses, making them flash, he spoke in a voice that conveyed finality. "If you wish to serve someone so much, serve whoever you think is worthy of your service. This time, choose a better master than your previous one." With that, he grabbed onto Ichigo's shoulder. "We can go now."

He smirked. "FINA- Wait, what are you doing?" He interrupted himself this time, as he saw Nemu was among them, seemingly instantly. _'Creepy. Very creepy.'_

Nemu, looking at him with her normal blank look, responded. "I'm going with my new master, Kurosaki-sama. Are you not the leader? That would make you responsible for my getting healed, yes?"

Ichigo shook his head after sending Ishida a dirty look for the smirk he was getting from him. "Actually, Ishida Uryu, our resident Quincy, is the one who reminded us of your existence and asked for you to be healed. HE is the one responsible for that." And cue Ishida's dirty look.

"Ah," Nemu responded. "Apologies, Kurosaki-sama, but I will choose to serve Ishida-sama." She then bowed to Ishida, who seemed a bit flustered.

Chuckling along with the now better Inoue, Ichigo got all their attentions. "Okay, okay, now that we have all that sorted out..."

"SORTED OUT!?" was Ishida's comment, which was ignored.

"We should go. We need to hurry, so you take Nemu-san and I'll take Inoue." He then turned to Inoue and got on a knee, facing away from her. "Hop on. I think I can go faster this way."

"B-but," stuttered Inoue before realizing that she didn't have much of an argument. With a light blush, she hopped on the Ichigo express(Get your mind out of the gutter, that one person who thought that.).

Nemu looked at Ishida curiously. "Should we emulate Ichigo-sama, Ishida-sama?" Ishida, who was still a bit confused on all that happened, nodded dazedly. With that, they took off, though Ichigo got in one last snicker, which set Ishida off. Thankfully, Ichigo only got snippets of him cursing at him through their high-speed movement.

A minute or so later, the entire group was approaching the large tower. It was far too quiet for any of their likings, which put all of them on edge, but they had little choice but to move forward, with their target right in front of them.

In an attempt to ease the tension, Ichigo asked the group a question. "What is she even getting executed for, huh?"

Despite not relieving the tension, the question at least got Ishida to answer him. "From what I heard a man named Byakuya say, its for an extended span of her going AWOL. There were other charges, but I didn't get to hear them. She went peacefully, but I saw that she had no clue what they were talking about." There was more to tell, but they'd reached the cell, still having encountered no resistance.

Once they entered, Ichigo and Ganju froze and, in perfect sync, exclaimed, "YOU!" though Ganju had more malice behind his. That's not to say Ichigo wasn't angry at her, though. Everyone else turned to them in surprise when they shouted that, though Ganju gave zero shits. He just stormed over to her and grabbed her by the neck of her white kimono.

Ichigo didn't follow him, though his clenched hands and narrowed eyes showed more than a bit of displeasure at seeing her. He was having flashbacks of his time as a Gillian, when just mentioning, no, just thinking of a shinigami would bring up thoughts of her and set him off.

Ganju, on the other hand, showed his displeasure when he was asked what he was doing. "THIS SCUM IS THE ONE THAT KILLED MY BROTHER!" When everyone looked at her shocked, she nodded, her face set in an emotionless expression.

Ichigo took a deep breath, calming himself down and, inadvertently, drawing everyone's attention to his shaking hands and shaky breathing. Even Ganju calmed down when he saw Ichigo in that state, but Rukia broke her emotionless mask when she saw him.

They locked eyes and, as if by some silent command, Ganju released her. Ichigo made his way over to her as Ganju backed up a bit, rather intimidated by just the look in his eyes. Rukia trembled slightly at the intensity of the look as she looked up at him from her kneeling position. It was silent for a little as they stared. Eventually, Ichigo broke the silence. "Do you remember me?"

She nodded, impressively stopping the motion from wavering. "You failed, you know that?" She nodded again. "Can you guess what you caused?" No response. "I guessed not. Well, do you at least remember that I was eaten?" This time, she nodded. "Did you attempt to comfort my family?" No response. "Did you help them at all?" She finally averted her eyes. "I see. Well... don't say anything. Don't try to apologize or rationalize it or anything. Just sit there, and let yourself get rescued."

Not waiting for a response, he turned away and walked back to the entrance. As he passed his friends, he gave a command that they were following before they even realized it. "Grab your friend and let's walk into the trap that's waiting for us."

Just as they went to do that, a calm, cold voice reached their ears. "You are rather intelligent, hollow. Yet, if you knew this was a trap, why then did you continue?"

Ichigo sighed and turned to his friends. "Run. Run as fast as you can. Take her and get out of here." He glanced at Ganju. "ALL of you, get out of here. This..."

He suddenly disappeared, only to reappear behind Ganju, blocking a strike from Soi-Fong's Zanpakuto, Suzumebachi(Hornet), with his bandaged hand. It was a black and yellow gauntlet connected to a stinger-like full finger ring by a chain. The tip was being pushed against his palm, but, where a butterfly like symbol, or Homonka,would've normally appeared, there was nothing, as it technically struck his Zanpakuto, not him, though she didn't know that. "Won't be a battle you guys can fight." Realizing how outclassed they were, Sado grabbed Rukia and Inoue, Nemu grabbed onto Ishida, and they all left.

A blur out of the corner of his eye alerted him of someone else, making him leave his position with the surprised Soi-Fong to block their path. He ended up kicking Byakuya in the back, sending him into the wall before turning around and almost decapitating Soi-Fong with the Zangetsu he summoned moments before. She'd ducked under the swipe and was coming towards him, so he just planted his foot in her face and sent her into a wall in a similar fashion to Byakuya.

Then, glancing to the entrance where he felt two powerful sources of reiatsu appear, he saw two others who he was able to deduce were taicho, one wearing a straw hat and the other having long, white hair. They were Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui. And both were looking towards the direction of his friends.

Dodging a retaliatory strike from Soi-Fong and sending her into another wall, much to her dismay, he buzzed away, appearing in front of the two, only to have to fire off a quick, nameless Getsuga to fend off a strike from a huge sword, which was accompanied by a roar of "Todoroke, Tenken(Roar, Heavenly Torment)!" Looking in it's direction, he saw a massive man with a helmet on walking on air towards him. Komamura.

Byakuya appeared on the bridge in a woosh of shunpo, Soi-Fong appearing upright on the railing behind him moments later. Both had a few scratches on them from the minor blows they took, but were going strong, not even noticing the damage he was dealing. Yet.

He cast his gaze around, tallying up their numbers in a moment. "Where's everyone else? Kenpachi and Kurotsuchi I understand being absent, but what about the other six? What, is Toshiro-tan too small to party? SousUKE feeling scared or, GASP, insecure?" Shunsui actually chuckled a little at that one. "Ichimaru..." He paused, spinning his sword by the bandage as he thought. "Actually, I got nothing for him, same for Kaname. Well, wh-"

He stopped, threw his sword up, and reached behind him, grabbing Suzumebachi with two fingers as it was about to pierce the back of his head. "That wasn't very nice. I wasn't done with my witty banter." He proceeded to chuck her at Komamura before catching his sword and blocking Byakuya with the one sword.

He'd been charging a Getsuga Tenshou with the spinning motion of his sword, so he was ready to release it at a moment's notice, which seemed to be right then and there, as Byakuya's sword dissolved into pink petals as the man spoke. "Chire, Senbonzakura(Scatter, 1000 Cherry Blossoms)."

He released it point-blank, engulfing both of them. As his defense, in the form of his sword, had dissolved in order to surprise, and distract, Ichigo, he had no way of defending himself. Ichigo then appeared on the bridge, holding a somewhat charred and decently injured Byakuya by the neck. "Toasty." Then, he looked to the two taicho that hadn't moved. "So, are YOU gonna let me introduce myself before you charge me?"

Shunsui smiled amiably. "Sure. We can even talk over a bit of sake!" He pulled a jug of it out of his flower Kimono and sat down, making Jushiro face-palm.

Jushiro's annoyance turned to shock when Ichigo shrugged, dropped Byakuya, and took a seat after storing his sword as a bandage on his arm once more. Kyoraku blinked in surprise before chuckling lightly. "You're the first person to ever take me up on the offer."

He shrugged again, filling a plate that Kyoraku produced. "What can I say. I really like sake." He jerked his head to the side to avoid a jab from Soi-Fong, sending a Getsuga enhanced punch into her abdomen and knocking her out cold and both charring and piercing her stomach. "So, the name's Kurosaki Ichigo, though I guess you guys know me as Kuro." He paused to take a sip. "You?"

"Kyoraku Shunsui, and this is-."

At that moment, Komamura shot up over the edge of the bridge and landed, facing Ichigo's exposed back. "BANKAI! KOKUJO TENGEN MYO(Vidyaraja of the Heavenly Torment of Kalasutra or Wisdom King of the Heavenly Torment of the Black Thread)!" A enormous set of demonic armor appeared behind the armored taicho.

Ichigo sighed and put down his plate. "One moment, please." Getting up, he didn't even bother to summon his swords as he crossed his arms over his head to block the giant sword that was brought down on him, which shook the bridge thoroughly. His arms began to glow with the power of an unreleased Getsuga Tenshou as he shoved upwards mightily, throwing the giant off balance.

In rapid succession, he fired off a salvo of them, his hands a blur as he punched the air to release them. The set of armor, and eventually Komamura himself, was engulfed in smoke. Once the smoke cleared, the armor was gone, both the construct behind him and the armor he wore, showing a canine face rather than a human on. "Huh, so he's the one with the double-edged power. Don't know why he's a dog, but I've seen weirder."

Ichigo shrugged, rather used to animal themed beings, being a hollow and all, and sat down once more, grabbing the cup and taking a sip. "You were saying."

With a drop of sweat on his brow, Shunsui continued. "A-ah, this is Ukitake Jushiro. So, would it be possible for us to end this peacefully?"

Ichigo thought for a moment before closing his eyes. _'Hmm, well Tousen is taking care of my friends, apparently, but he's on my side, so I doubt he'll kill them. He doesn't seem the type.'_ Opening his eyes, he sighed. "Well, it seems you won anyway. Kaname-taicho reached my friends already, so I'd better go take care of them soon. I was wondering where the other taicho were."

Kyoraku chuckled sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry about that. We understand that you don't want Kuchiki-san to be executed- we don't want that either- but she broke the rules, so we have to punish her accordingly. You understand, yes?"

He nodded. "I get it, I just don't agree with it. From what I know, this is for being AWOL, yes? Shouldn't that just be a demotion or something? Prison time at most, yeah?"

"Sadly," responded Jushiro, giving his first words since the conversation began, "it's not that simple. She's part of a noble family along with being a shinigami. She has responsibilities, and one of them is to follow the rules, which apply double to her, due to her status. The Kuchiki house is very strict, and their punishments very harsh, when it comes to the rules."

Ichigo was silent for a moment. "Hm. Well, I hate to say this, but, regardless of what I'D do, my friends wouldn't allow that. They're protective of their own, and I intend to make sure they accomplish their goal. Would it be possible for you two to just, oh, look the other way this time? If not... well, I'm no pacifist. I'm more like Zaraki than anything else, actually."

At that, they both widened their eyes. "Yeah, you wouldn't have thought, right? Well, I don't go around trying to fight anything that's able to move in my presence, but still. Love a good fight. Now, what's your answer?"

Shunsui and Jushiro exchanged lookes before Shunsui sighed. "Sorry, Ichigo, but these are Yama-jii's orders. We can't just let you..."

He trailed off as he had a sudden stroke of "genius". "How about this: we'll have a contest." Ichigo's interest was peaked, causing him to listen intently. "We'll all release our Zanpakuto from their sealed states, saying the full release phrases. If yours is cooler, we'll let you go and take the others to Unohana-san, the 4th division Taicho. If either of ours is cooler, you come with us peacefully, but we promise your friends won't be harmed if we win. Deal?" Jushiro stared at him in shock, but he didn't get to protest before Ichigo agreed.

"Deal. You first." Internally, he contacted his Zanpakuto. _'So, mind telling me the whole thing? We actually have a chance to say it this time.'_ (A/N: He used one sword in the whole exchange, by the way. They don't even know about the other right now.)

* * *

With everyone else

* * *

Sado bit the inside of his mouth as he used continuous bursts of sonido to fly over Seireitei. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Ganju and Hanataro were trailing behind him, his sonido being superior to their shunpo, while Ishida, Nemu and Yoruichi kept pace with him(and Rukia and Inoue).

Looking beyond them, he saw the outline of the bridge, where a giant suit of armor had just appeared, making his eyes widen. The others followed his line of sight and were shocked at what they saw. They were even more surprised when the armor disappeared not very long after, the reiatsu in the area calming, though it was still very much saturated with the very... Ichigo feeling.

Sighing in relief, Sado turned to face where he was going again as he addressed Yoruichi. They were running across the top of a large building, so they had a small reprieve from the high-speed movements."Have you contacted Urahara-san yet, Yoruichi-san?" Despite his voice, size, and the urgency of the situation, he still managed to come off as polite.

She shook her head. "Once we reach the Rukongai districts again, I'll do it. We don't want that portal to be open any longer than absolutely necessary." They all disappeared in their own fashions before reaching another roof. "Until then, do not let your guard down. We aren't out of the woods yet."

Suddenly, Sado ground to a halt, trying not to run into the dark-skinned man that had appeared right in front of him. "No, no you are not."

Sado jumped back, letting Inoue fall off his back and placing Rukia on the ground. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to buy time.

"I..." he said, drawing his sword. "...am justice. And I am here to enforce the law." He spun his sword by the ring that was on its hilt before catching it. "I bear you no grudge, but, for the sake of justice, your quest will be ending here." The whole group readied themselves, prepared to fight him to the death for Rukia, but he just disappeared.

Appearing in their midst with his sword pointing directly upwards, he spoke, drawing their attention. "Nake, Suzumushi(Sing, Cricket)." His sword began to vibrate and their worlds began to spin before it all went black and they hit the floor.

Walking forward, he picked up Rukia's insensate body. "It is not time yet. Aizen-sama isn't ready. You will be free soon, Kuchiki." He'd never even thought that his move hadn't worked on the non-human of the group, Yoruichi. That she was faking it.

When Tousen was gone, she opened her eyes and looked at the bodies. "The hell. I can't do anything like this." Her body began to glow as she tensed her muscles. Then, she began to grow.

* * *

Back with Ichigo

* * *

Shunsui drew his two swords before lifting them both in front of him. One was pointing forwards, toward Ichigo, while the other was horizontal. Ichigo noted that they were a daisho set, similar to his own. When he spoke, his voice gave a dramatic tone, one that wasn't lost on either Ichigo nor Jushiro.(Gonna be doing these in English this chapter.) "The Flower God chirps when the Flower Wind rages, the Heavenly Demon laughs when the Heavenly Wind rages! Katen Kyokatsu(Flower Heaven, Crazy Bones)!" The blades changed into two Chinese Dao with a red horsehair tassel from each pommel, though one was still a bit longer than the other, if you looked closely.

Holding his blades to the side, he smiled at Ichigo like an old friend. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Ichigo nodded, finding the release phrase, combined with the appearance, to be rather beautiful. Then he cast his gaze to the unwilling Jushiro. "Soooo... you're part of this or not? I understand if you don't agree, but... I kinda wanna see yours too... no homo."

Sighing, Jushiro drew his sword before placing it in the air in front of him and speaking. "All waves become my shield, all lightning become my blade! Sogyo no Kotowari(Principle of Pisces)!" The blade split into two, showing that he was a dual wielder, just like Shunsui, but the similarities ended there. The swords, after separating into two, were connected by a long red rope with a number of silver tags along it, and each blade had a second blade coming out from its middle, facing back towards the handle.

Ichigo clapped. "That was nice, I must say. I wonder how mine will stack up... You know what, the gay jokes are plentiful, so I will just stoke this flame. My sword is magnificent in its own way, you know." They were silent before a shared chuckle came across them.

Releasing his shikai and sealing his swords, Ichigo showed that he had two when he reached both hands to his right side grabbed their hilts, the on in his left hand being in a reverse grip while the one in his left was grasped normally(Ichigo's left handed in this story, so the shorter one is the right side.). They widened their eyes when they saw the dual swords but said nothing.

Then he closed his eyes and began. "The hand of God pushes a gentle tyranny, the hand of the Devil forces a cruel reign. Angels forever cry in the face of evil, and demons cry in the face of none. Man will cry 'til he has no tears left... and becomes that which brought him such anguish to begin with. Such barriers that separate us will destroy us. Pierce the hearts of man, demon, and angel alike and let a balance be reached."

He opened his eyes and drew his swords, retaining his reverse grip on the shorter one and placing it on top of the horizontal other one, making it face the other two shinigami. "Shatter the gates of heaven, bind their king, and bath all the celestial in my darkness! Annihilate the gates of hell, free their king, and bath them all in my light! Open the kingdom of man and let them see what lies beyond! Tear down all barriers until all are equal, and begin with the domain of the Almighty... ZANGETSU!"

In response to his cry, both blades glowed, the shorter one red and the longer one blue, before bandages sprung from the tip, working their way down the blade. It reached his arms and worked their way up them as well before they all froze. After a quick moment in which they seemed to tighten, Ichigo brought both blades to his side as the bandages burst, freeing the familiar, cleaver-like blades, both of which had edges that gleamed with their respective colors.

Hefting the left one, which had white bandages, over his shoulder, he smirked at the two shell-shocked taicho. "So...?"

Shunsui suddenly began sulking. "And I thought mine was cool! I can't compete with that!"

Jushiro patted him on the shoulder as he looked to Ichigo. "He means to say that you win."

Ichigo chuckled. "Thank you, thank you. But I really have to work out something with Zangetsu here for that release... story. I can't say or do all of that mid-battle."

In his mind, Shiro scoffed. **_'We TOLD you it was excessive, you know. This is probably the only time you'll ever get to say the whole thing!'_** Ichigo ignored him, making him start cursing liberally.

Smirking, though it was now more from Shiro than anything else, he turned to take his leave. "It's been fun, but I have to go take care of my friends. Maybe we can have a drink someday... when you aren't being ordered to kill/purify me. You know, that kinda thing." He cocked his head, looking over to his friends. "Yup, they lost Rukia." Turning back to the shinigami, he smirked. "I'll be back before she's executed. If you can get Zaraki back up and about, that'd be great. Or at least make the taicho pull out their bankai before they go down. I don't like free wins like that." With that, he disappeared with a buzz of sonido.

About 30 seconds later, Ichigo was where he'd felt their reiatsu, though he was confused when he saw that no one was there. "The fuck. I could've sworn..." Looking around, he saw that there was no one there, and far too many mixing reiatsu trails for him to have much chance at finding them(A/N: He didn't learn the spirit ribbon thing.). "I'd have felt them die, but... huh?"

A piece of paper caught his eye. Picking it up, he read it. "Ichigo, this is neko. I've taken the others to my hideout, and I'll find you eventually, but you have to survive on your own for a little while. Good luck." At the end, there was a little cat drawing, which made Ichigo chuckle. "Well, I guess it's time to amuse myself... somehow."

From behind him, Ichigo heard a voice that made him whirl around. "Well, I may be of some help there, Ichigo."

Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo found Aizen standing there. "Was wondering where you were, Aizen." Aizen smiled at him amiably, making Ichigo scowl. "Okay, let's talk for a while, huh? I have some questions that need answering."

Aizen, while a bit surprised, was completely fine with that. "I imagined you would be curious." He really didn't, but making it seem like he was always prepared was a big part of him.

"Okay," Ichigo began, "first off, why didn't you just have Kaname-san give you Rukia just then, take that whole Hogyoku thing from her, then leave undetected right then and there?"

Aizen smiled at Ichigo like he was a first grader who just asked a really good question, forcing Ichigo to bite back a growl. "Because, Ichigo, people would start asking questions. And then they'd assume things when they can't find the answers. Eventually, they'd have found out that I hadn't died, as my abilities wear off over time, and then they'd assume that I did something, along with the assumption that I killed central 46, which I did, mind you. I don't want them to assume anything. I want them to know who did this, to know how helpless they were, to understand what needs to change, both with them and how they do things. They didn't even question a stay in the shrine of penance before execution via the Sokyoku for a simple case of AWOL, an unintentional one at that. It just goes to show how unfair things are, and the fact that they know it."

Ichigo's eyes were wide as he listened to Aizen. _'This guy is more than just devious or cunning...'_ Shaking his head, he focused on Aizen, looking him in the eye to try and discern the truth from the lies in what he just said. In the end, he couldn't get much. _'I really can't trust him. All I know is that he really does intend to change things, but I can't tell how.'_

Sighing in acceptance, Ichigo moved on. "Alright, fine. I can understand that much. Now, second ques-"

He was cut off by Aizen. "Actually, Ichigo, I'd like to ask you a question as well, if you don't mind." Ichigo reluctantly allowed it. "What would you do if your friends stood against what I am trying to accomplish. You seem a bit attached to them."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at him. "You put a fucking scratch on them, Aizen, and I swear to any and every deity in existence that I will tear out your throat, slowly and painfully, and watch with glee as every ounce of blood drains from your body before it dissipates into reishi, which I will then absorb without an ounce of remorse."

Now, Aizen was legitimately stunned, but Ichigo continued. "As for what I'd do... knock them out and put them out of the battle... even at the cost of our friendship. I already know that they have little chance of standing against you, or just about anything else in Hueco Mundo. Not as they are now."

He stopped to take a deep breath, which Aizen used to speak. "So, you will take care of it, is what you are trying to tell me." Ichigo nodded. "Good. I have no qualms with killing them off, but I will refrain, as long as that guarantees your service."

Once more, Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Are you... blackmailing me, Aizen?" Ichigo's reiatsu spiked dangerously. Very dangerously.

Raising his hands in surrender, Aizen corrected his mistake. "No, I'm not blackmailing you. I'm informing you of what would have happened had I lacked the foresight to consult you on what to do with them and the price of making the special allowance for their lives. The fact that you are helping me is why they will be allowed to live, even in the event that they oppose me. Don't mistake what I am saying."

Ichigo didn't quite like what he was hearing, but he completely understood. _'Had I refused to help and they tried to stop him, they'd have gotten slaughtered immediately.'_ Nodding, Ichigo decided to move on. "Fine then. My turn, Aizen... Why am I wearing this reigigai? I can remove my mask, you know. All you're doing is helping someone who you know isn't subservient to you get stronger for no good reason. I know you aren't dumb, so fess up."

Here, Aizen was surprised that Ichigo even thought of that. "Well, Ichigo, you look far more like a shinigami as you are now, you don't stand out as much. Your reiatsu would've blanketed this area in a volatile sheet, and put everyone on edge. I'm certain your mission is one that requires more... subtlety."

"You didn't answer my question, Aizen," Ichigo noted. "I already knew that part."

Aizen smiled at him, glad that he wasn't dumb. "Ah, you catch onto these things well, Ichigo." He took a moment to remove and clean his glasses, letting Ichigo's anxiety build as he waited for an answer.

"I..." Aizen put back on the glasses. "...want you to be strong, Ichigo. If only to see how far you can go. With the Hogyoku, I will easily be able to keep up with, if not surpass you, so your threat level to me goes down immensely once I obtain it. As such, I can observe you, the most interesting being I've ever seen. Born a human with both hollow and shinigami abilities dormant within you, and, through your mother, a Quincy. A pure blood, among all other things. Fascinating."

Ichigo pressed his lips into a thin line. "So, I'm an experiment is what you're telling me."

Shrugging, Aizen responded. "Think of it as what you will. Just know that your life has value, and your potential is unknown to anyone. You're the first of your kind, and I don't think there will ever be another."

With a sigh, Ichigo shrugged off Aizen's... Aizen-ness. "Whatever. As long as that's all, we'll get along fine. So, when will you be ready to leave?"

Aizen's smile didn't sit well with Ichigo. "In time, Ichigo. Whenever you and your friends manage to reach Rukia, I will be ready. As of now, I AM the law of Soul Society, so I can delay or hasten this execution on my whim. Take whatever time you need, and you can let your friends become strong. But, if you feel that you need some more time, return here and flare your reiatsu. I will conceal you as I am now and we will discuss things. Now, is that all, Ichigo?"

He nodded, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get much else out of the man. He was already surprised he'd gotten this much, so he wasn't going to push it. "Yeah, you can do whatever it is you do for the next three days. I'm sure I won't need anymore time than that." Aizen nodded then, in a burst of shunpo, disappeared.

Ichigo didn't feel any different, but he was certain that he wasn't being cloaked by Aizen anymore. As such, he looked around, trying to figure out what to do, and where to go. "Now what? Don't got any of the others to babysit right now... but I have no one to fight. Any ideas, guys?"

His Zanpakuto, which he was addressing, gave the equivalent of a shrug. "Well, may as well look around, then. Nothing better to do." With that, he disappeared in a buzz of sonido, appearing briefly on top of buildings, only to disappear again moments later.

A few hours later, Ichigo was looking down on soul society from the top of a building as the sun set. "This place is so fucking boring. I mean, yeah, we're currently invading, but I figure SOMEONE would be doing something interesting. Ikkaku and Zaraki are in that infirmary place, and there's supposed to be another taicho over there, that shrimp is god-knows-where right now, his fukutaicho probably in the same boat, I don't even want to encounter Tousen or Gin... oh shit, ALL the other taicho are probably in the infirmary after they encountered me."

He sat down and started to think. "Okay, so there are 13 of them in total. Zaraki is out..." He put up one finger. "Those three I kicked the shit out of are probably down right now..." He put up another three. "That Kurotsuchi guys is definitely out, if what Ishida said is true..." Another, making five and forcing him to use the other hand. "Aizen is supposed to be "dead"... yeah right..." He put up one finger on the new hand. "Tousen took out the gang then left with Rukia, though I have no clue what he's doing NOW... and Gin is... probably being Gin somewhere..." Two more. "Oh yeah, Shunsui and Jushiro, they are probably drinking or something. Don't know them well enough." Another two.

"Hmm... Oh yeah, there's supposed to be a medic taicho in the infirmary with the ones I took down." He started anew, making a note to add ten to whatever he comes up with. "No clue about Toshiro, and I have no clue about the last one, but, with my luck, he's the strongest." Then he put up the last two. "Okay, that's the thirteen of them." Crossing his arms and looking up, he wondered aloud, "Maybe I should go check on that shrimp of a taicho. Maybe if I beat him enough he'll spill about the last one. What do you guys think?"

Oddly, it WASN'T Shiro who agreed with his violent plan first. _'It is effective, so I suggest you proceed with this course of action. I doubt you will be willingly given any information otherwise.'_ Shiro was quick to voice his agreement, though.

Nodding, Ichigo searched around for the taicho's frosty reiatsu. With a glance at the setting sun, he disappeared, noting that the taicho in question was near what he remembered as Gin's reiatsu, and they were both flaring every once in a while. _'What is that snake up to now?'_

A minute or so later, Ichigo was looking down on the pair, and, currently, the one he recognized as Rangiku was blocking Gin's extended Zanpakuto, Shinso, as it attempted to impale Toshiro, who was shielding a shinigami Ichigo didn't know with his body. _'Hmm. Well, haven't I found something interesting...'_ was Ichigo's only thought as he watched the actions play out.

Rangiku, her hands shaking as she kept the blade at bay, looked over her own Zanpakuto, staring at Gin with eyes that showed far too many emotions for Ichigo to really be able to properly decipher. At the very least, he saw a twinkle of both love and sadness.

"Retract your sword, Gin, or I will be your opponent." She said it forcefully, and she showed that she really meant it, but everything about her screamed that she wanted anything but that. The way her hands shook in more than fear of facing a taicho, the increase of sadness in her eyes to the point where it shone through every other emotion, the thin line her lips were pressed into. Impressively, she managed to carry herself professionally, and managed to keep any emotion out of her voice. And that was enough for Ichigo to stay out of it, if only to respect her resolve.

"Oh?" Gin asked with a slightly mocking tone. "And if I don't?" He pushed a bit harder, making the cracks in her sword spread further. Ichigo could tell that it wouldn't last much longer at that rate, but waited to see how things would play out.

Rangiku flinched slightly, but it was from more than the added force. At that, Gin's grin faltered for less than what a split second could describe, but Ichigo was watching closely enough that he caught a glimpse of it. He retracted Shinso with a grin. "Was just kiddin'." With that, he turned tail and started to stalk away. "The girl's in more than a bit of a pinch, ya know. Should ya really be wastin' yer time on me right now?"

With that, he disappeared, but Ichigo kept looking where he once was. _'He's... not what I thought he was, though I don't even know what I thought he was to begin with. I just know that he's a lot more than he appears. But aren't we all...'_ Shaking his head to banish the thoughts, he looked down at the other two. Rangiku was tending to her superior, who was trying to wave her off as he tended to the other girl.

"Taicho, are you okay?" Her question was ignored dutifully as said taicho was focused on someone else at that point in time.

"Momo? Momo!?" He shook her slightly, getting no response. The air seemed to get rather frosty at that point, but Toshiro held it together rather well. In fact, he kept his reiatsu completely under his control, which was enough to earn him at least a bit of Ichigo's respect. "Matsumoto."

She seemed to stiffen slightly at the sudden address by the taicho that was ignoring her moments before. "Hai."

"Take her to the infirmary..." His light blue, almost silvery hair covered his eyes in a shadow as his body started to glow slightly. "...and tell Yamamoto-soutaicho that I'm going scouting for the Ryoka."

Ichigo decided that it was about time he stepped in. Jumping down, he greeted them. "Looking for me?" They seemed to blink at his sudden, and casual, appearance before getting into defensive positions. "What, am I that scary now? I haven't even done anything!"

Rangiku went to draw her sword, but Toshiro stopped her with a look, handed her Momo, and told her to go. "I'm not going to repeat myself on this, Rangiku. I'm willing to risk you getting caught in the crossfire if it means he pays for what he's caused!" His reiatsu, immature as it was, slammed down on everyone there, making Rangiku realize how angry he was. So, without another word, she was gone.

Ichigo raised a brow. "What's up with you? I hav-" He was cut off by Toshiro's reiatsu skyrocketing as he released any and all restraint and glared at Ichigo with unrestrained hate burning through his normally calm, cold visage.

"BAN-" He drew his previously sheathed sword, making the point face Ichigo. "KAI!" He exploded into bluish white reiatsu, rather reminiscent of the mist you see when you open a freezer and the area is warm.

It was all cleared by the sweep of a blue wing made of ice, revealing Toshiro cloaked in it, giving him wings and a tail made of ice, and a claw surrounding one hand and a dragon's head on the sword wielding one, its eyes glowing an eerie red. "DAIGUREN HYORINMARU!"

Ichigo held up his hands as Toshiro charged him. "Oi!" he exclaimed as he ducked under a slash from the blade and the subsequent wave of ice that followed. "I haven't even done anything!" He jumped away to avoid being struck by the tail that he controlled as well as if it was a normal part of him. "At least tell me what's got you so riled up, short stuff."

Toshiro didn't take too well to being called short stuff apparently. He dashed at Ichigo do, swinging his sword multiple times in the blink of an eye, sending a salvo of icy dragon heads at Ichigo, ready to drag him into their frosty depths and freeze him to death.

Punching forward enough to shatter all the dragons, he ended them in time to turn around and catch Toshiro's sword with one hand. "Seriously, tell what I did? Unless this is revenge for that one time in Hueco Mundo... in which case, it was your fault for entering the place. Just saying."

Toshiro ripped the sword from Ichigo's grip, though it was more that Ichigo let go than anything else, with a growl. "Don't pretend like you don't know, murderer." He proceeded to swing, encasing Ichigo in a prison of ice that was quickly shattered.

Ichigo, appearing next to him and slamming a blue Getsuga Tenshou into his side, destroying the wing that came up to protect him, responded. "I haven't killed a damn thing since I got here, you brat. Not for lack of trying, mind you. Everything I face seems to have lady luck smiling down on them 24/7, for some reason or another."

He jumped back to avoid Toshiro's tail. "Seriously, man. Madarame Ikkaku, tried to incinerate him, but he got found by a scouting party and lived. Kenpachi Zaraki, cut into his lungs, probably cut through quite a few arteries and veins, went through a multitude of bones, but his fukutaicho saved his ass and probably got him medical attention. I didn't even try for those other three I "fought", so I doubt they died. I swear to fuck if THEY died, though..."

Ichigo could only shake his head at his own train of thought as he jumped over the umpteenth slash from Toshiro. "Anyway, I haven't done much since I got here. The fuck, in those encounters, did I do to get your panties THIS bunched up?"

Toshiro, who'd been getting progressively more angry as he listened to Ichigo rant, appeared behind him and tried to run him through. "Aren't you forgetting the murder of Souske Aizen?" His voice was as quiet as the snow that was steadily falling around them at this point.

Ichigo grabbed the sword with his hand, staring at him in confusion. "You think I did that? Well, that's your problem. You can chronicle my events easily. Enter, encounter scouting party, travel, fight Ikkaku, travel, find my friends beating Abarai-san, retreat and sleep. Wake up, practice, then travel. Two of us stayed behind to face Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and slaughtered his ass by the way, while the rest went on. I encountered Zaraki, then beat Zaraki, then eventually caught up with my friends. Then we broke Rukia out, I stalled, then repelled, the five taicho left to ambush us, while they encountered Tousen. They fell, are resting, and I'm here, scouting."

The sudden blinking of Toshiro was enough for Ichigo to think he could release the blade. "See wha-" He was interrupted by the blade then continuing its path and exiting his back. "Wow. Fuck you, bro. Second time I've taken a sword there. TODAY."

Toshiro seemingly didn't here that, or just ignored it. "I don't want to here your lies, hollow. Your actions have caused Momo great pain... and for that, I will inflict it upon you tenfold."

Sighing, Ichigo stepped back before disappearing with a buzz of sonido. "Believe what you want, gaki. I don't care anymore. But the name's Kurosaki Ichigo, not hollow. And, if you don't quit it, I'll repeat what happened last time you met me." Ichigo spiked his reiatsu and began charging a cero to prove his point, but the enraged Toshiro didn't really care.

Instead of trying a strategy in which Ichigo was unable to fry him like last time, he simply popped up behind him and tried to behead Ichigo. Ichigo, in a show of skill, caught it in the hand he didn't have a cero charged without looking and, pointing the cero at him, spoke. "I warned you." And he released it.

Or he would've if he didn't soon find that he was lacking an arm. Grunting in annoyance, he tugged Toshiro forward by the sword and elbowed him in the face with the same arm before planting his knee in the diminutive Taicho's abdomen, releasing a Getsuga Tehshou from the limb, something he though of on the fly. Sadly, as he wasn't used to doing that from his leg, it didn't pass right through him like it should've but only charred his midsection and stripped the area of both skin and clothing. This all took a second or two at most, meaning Toshiro had no chance. _'Should've tried for his head. Maybe I would've accomplished something.'_

As Toshiro dropped to the ground, Ichigo turned to whoever had the gall to... disarm him(A/N: Shoot me later.). He found a bald old man and a white haired, seemingly middle aged one. "And you are? Toshiro-tan was about to get his punishment for accusing me of lying... and accusing me of murder." Then he cocked his head to the side. "Then again, that might've become murder just then anyway... hmm." Ichigo shrugged and refocused on the two.

The old man instantly barked out an order. "Chojiro-fukutaicho, get Hitsugaya-taicho to Unohana-taicho immediately." The white haired man nodded, grabbed Hitsugaya, and, without a word, left.

Ichigo blinked at the remaining old man. "Ooooookay? Would you like to introduce yourself now, or do you want me to guess. And my guess is that you're looking for a fight, 'cause that's all that's even remotely obvious."

The old man looked Ichigo over through squinted eyes before his eyes widened. "What is your name?"

This made Ichigo rather surprised. "Huh, no rude title as nothing more than "Hollow" or anything like that? So far, you're doing as well as Shunsui and Jushiro. Well, the name's Kurosaki Ichigo. You?"

"Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Soutaicho of the Gotei 13. Now, Ichigo, I am not one to forgive easily. And you've killed a taicho, severely injured Hitsugaya-taicho, third seat Madarame Ikkaku, and Zaraki-taicho thrice now, among other things."

He saw that the old man was about to go on, but he had to put in a word. "I did NOT kill that damned Aizen! Fucking hell! What would I have to do to prove that!?" He threw both his hands in the air, as the other had regenerated already. "As for those other fuckers, can you blame me for defending myself!? I mean, yeah, I did aim to silence Ikkaku, but he had information that I would've PREFERRED stay out of your hands! Hitsugaya was attacking ME! And Zaraki, well, he's fucking Zaraki! The other taicho, well, didn't YOU send them after ME? How is that MY fault!?" He finished with his little rant at that point. "Gomen. Continue."

Yamamoto did just that. "Regardless of your justification, you are the prime suspect of a murder, the cause of many injuries, and a hollow. Regardless of what you say, you shall fall to me, Kurosaki Ichigo. I am glad I asked your name earlier, because, from this point forth, your words are meaningless. Prepare for a beating, gaki." He clenched his fist around his cane before placing it down. Then, he straightened himself, gaining an inch or two and causing many a bone in his body to crack.

Then, in a very Ichigo like style, he brought his hands outside of the top of his shihakusho, letting it fall behind him, before stretching his arms and causing his bones to crack as they prepared for motions they haven't had reason to do in ages. Eventually, he flared his reiatsu to life, making his many scars seem to glow with an ethereal lighting and surrounding himself in what looked to be an inferno. It began to feel like one as well. His reiatsu may as well have been the surface of the sun, because it got very hot very rapidly as he reached out and grabbed his staff.

Said staff was then engulfed in the same flaming reiatsu and was seemingly stripping it of its wood in a wave emanating from where Yamamoto grasped it. When the process was done, he was left holding a rather long, sheathed katana. "I hope you have prayed in the time I had given you, Ichigo, for now, no god can save you." Drew the blade, which seemed to be covered in flames as well, and the heated seemed to double itself. "Reduce all creation to ash, Ryujin Jakka(Flowing Blade-like Flame)."

Ichigo could only stare in no small amount of awe at the man in front of him. _'Where the hell were they hiding this... monster?'_ And there were few other words to describe Yamamoto. He'd risen to the pinnacle of shinigami prowess. Hoho, zanjutsu, hakuda, kido, any and every art a shinigami could specialize in, you could be certain that he'd mastered it to an unprecedented level.

Ichigo then caught himself, realizing that he was leaving himself completely open. Raising his reiatsu to its max, he released both his swords, saying at least part of the phrase, as he figured he could get away with it. "Shatter the gates of heaven, bind their king, and bath all the celestial in my darkness! Annihilate the gates of hell, free their king, and bath them all in my light! Open the kingdom of man and let them see what lies beyond! Tear down all barriers until all are equal, and begin with the domain of the Almighty... ZANGETSU!" His own reiatsu provided a cushion of sorts against the sweltering heat of Yamamoto's, but it didn't even come close to blocking it. Nor did he come close to matching it in strength. _'Dear sweet fuck. What am I fighting!?'_

Growling, he pushed his power to the absolute limit without his bolstering abilities like Blut Artere and his mask. His own ocean of reiatsu flowed out of him, attempting to push back the tidal wave of Yamamoto's reiatsu and failing. At most, he cleared an area for himself to stand safely. _'This'll be interesting... I'll make it up to you somehow, Shiro, but only full throttle blasts will really make a dent like this.'_ He ignored the groan from the Zanpakuto spirit.

The pillar of reiatsu that surrounded him dissipated as he held both his swords behind him and charged them with as much reiatsu as possible. It was flowing off them like flames, similar to the ones Yamamoto's reiatsu was mimicking. "Getsuga..." He redoubled his efforts, making the flow grow to the point of looking like giant wings behind him. "TENSHOU!" He swung the swords at Yamamoto, releasing all of that at the man wreathed in flames.

Yamamoto, on the other hand, opened his eyes in interest when he felt the amount of power Ichigo wielded. They opened even wider when he saw the amount of power he was able to put into the one technique, then more when it redoubled. Then, when he registered the full name of the technique, he almost fell into flashback of Isshin.

In the end, though, a single swipe of Ryujin Jakka was enough to match, then surpass the amount of power in the attack, much to Ichigo's shock. The swing released an enormous wave of fire that, even after fighting off Ichigo's attack, had enough power left to reach him, though it did no real damage.

Ichigo, though, wouldn't have cared if it did. He only cared about the monster in front of him. "Wh-what ARE you!?"

Yamamoto, in a harsh voice, bellowed. "SILENCE. I told you, further talk is pointless. If you wish to speak, do so with your blades."

With narrowed eyes, Ichigo resolved to go all out. Activating Blut Artere and pulling down his mask simultaneously, he dispersed the slightly shorter of his two cleavers, the one with black bandages, and concentrated it all into the remaining blade. This time, his now red reiatsu was enough to start damaging the area around them heavily, and pushed back Yamamoto's reiatsu. "If that's the kind of "talk" you wanna do, I'm up for a conversation."

* * *

Meanwhile - Infirmary

* * *

Ikkaku, who'd recovered enough to move thanks to Unohana, had long since broken out into a cold sweat. The infirmary was on the other side of seireitei, but he could clearly feel every bit of the two titan's reiatsu. And so could everyone else in the room.

Currently, he was in the same room as everyone else injured by the Ryoka, as they were the only real injuries in this time of crisis. Komamura, Byakuya, Soi-Fong, Zaraki, Yumichika, himself, and, most recently, Toshiro were all patients, and Unohana was currently there, treating Toshiro while a few lower ranking 4th division members occasionally checked up on them.

Suddenly, Zaraki burst out laughing. "Gahahaha! Oh, that's great! Kurosaki is fighting on even grounds with the old man! Gahahaha!" Everyone turned to him, except Yumichika and Ikkaku. "What? The kid's a fucking powerhouse! I can't wait for the rematch!"

Byakuya stared at him coldly. "What makes you so certain he will live through this battle, Kenpachi?"

Despite the obvious animosity Byakuya showed, Zaraki just grinned at him. "People like us don't die so easily. Nah, he's gonna become a monster, and I'm gonna kick his ass! He'll think twice about holding back next time! Gahahaha!" They all rolled their eyes, but knew he'd try regardless of how strong the opponent was.

* * *

Back with Ichigo

* * *

With his sword wreathed in his now crimson reiatsu, he steadied himself by putting one foot slightly forward. Even that slight movement made a slight burst of reiatsu escape his body, making a little vortex around his feet. Placing the sword behind him, he ramped it up, causing it to explode out of the blade as the pressure broke its containment limit in the blade. Swinging it upwards in a diagonal fashion, he made an outline of sorts with the trail of reiatsu flowing off the blade before bringing it down along the path. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

At that moment, he released the most enormous blast of his life at that moment. Nothing had ever forced him to go this far before, and he was glad to find that it wasn't able to be bat aside like the previous one. No, this one pushed through the flame-like reiatsu shield that surrounded Yamamoto, forcing him to use his sword to block, and even then he was starting to get overwhelmed, causing his eyes to actually widen, which is more than many can claim they've seen, let alone caused.

Well, he was getting overwhelmed for a few moments. Then, after narrowing his eyes dangerously, Yamamoto spiked his reiatsu and swung his blade, slashing through the oncoming wave like a hot knife through butter. This managed to part the wave around him, leaving him mostly unharmed, except for a few burns on his arm and torso. An impressive achievement for sure, but still not enough to beat him.

Ichigo stared at Yamamoto with disbelief. _'H-how? That's not possible...'_ In the end, his shock came through in his voice. "What are you?"

Yamamoto brought his sword in a circle before grasping the hilt with both hands in preparation. "I am Shinigami..."

Ichigo couldn't really argue with that, as the man, no, the monster in front of him seemed to be an unstoppable force of nature. Referring to himself as not just another one but THE Shinigami seemed rather justified in Ichigo's eyes. Even at full power, with all of his power boosts, he could only manage to burn Yamamoto. And he thought of himself as a rather strong fighter. He'd survived in Hueco Mundo. Hell, he beat the king of Hueco Mundo. That alone put him above most others. _'Then again, THIS isn't most others.'_

Then the lines of Zangetsu's full release phrase struck him. _'Well, may as well get a warm up. He isn't almighty- that burn I gave him is proof of that. I can wear him down eventually, and then I can end this.'_ Taking a deep breath, Ichigo focused on the man through his mask, preparing himself for the super combo he was about to pull.

They ended up staring at each other for what seemed to be an eternity, though it was only a few seconds in actuality, before either of them moved. And it was to speak. Surprisingly, it was Yamamoto who spoke, this in continuation of his previous line. "... and I have come to return your soul to the eternal cycle." Like that, he was gone, using shunpo that was so much faster than any other Ichigo had seen. If he wasn't waiting for that, Ichigo would've died right then and there.

As it stood, he had a deep gouge on his neck, which he healed in the next instant by kick-starting his instant regeneration with reiatsu. He didn't stay long enough for Yamamoto to try and correct his mistake, though. With an excessive use of sonido, he proceeded to seemingly be in 50 places at once. His speed was insane by most anyone's standards, but to Yamamoto, he was only dealing with rather high speed, not super speed.

It showed when Ichigo, who'd began to spin his blades by their bandages, started to fire of waves of Getsuga Tenshou's every time he appeared. Yamamoto was able to counter each one as it came with a wave of his sword, seemingly having his sword in 50 places at once to a normal eye.

While keeping it up, Ichigo growled and tried to up the ante as best he could. Sadly, he was doing just about 90% at that moment, and the full force didn't make that much of a difference. If anything, it made his situation worse.

While he managed to keep up the 100% of everything run going for an impressive 40 minutes, his passive absorption of reishi could only accomplish so much, and he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell at getting a moment to concentrate on recharging. And all he got out of it was a good amount of cuts on Yamamoto and the occasional burn due to only grazing him.

In the end, he tired himself out to the point that he began to noticeably slow down. Well, his slowing was at least noticeable to Yamamoto, because the man seemingly chose to take the chance.

Disappearing with what Ichigo would forever call super-shunpo, he appeared behind the slowing hybrid and ran him through on Ryujin Jakka. Ichigo could only look down at his pierced stomach in shock, then a fierce annoyance took him over. "WHAT'S WITH YOU FUCKING SHINIGAMI AND MY STOMACH! EVERY FUCKING TIME!"

Yamamoto nodded sagely and responded, "We tend to do that." before ripping his sword out the side, the flame-like characteristics of his sword cauterizing the wounds as it went, which only made it more painful for Ichigo, who jumped away as best he could via sonido.

Glancing down for a moment before refocusing on Yamamoto, Ichigo had to accept reality. _'I'm no match for him as I am. MAYBE if I had no seal on my hollow powers, but right now... I'll get slaughtered if I drag this out much longer.'_

Gritting his teeth against another oncoming wave of pain, he charged up both swords with reiatsu and slammed them, blades first, into the ground before releasing all of what he'd built up. The result was a large explosion that provided a smoke screen for him.

Yamamoto blew it away quickly, but Ichigo was already gone, suppressing his reiatsu as best he could by deactivating all his enhancements. He was hiding on a roof, not bothering to look over the edge to see if Yamamoto saw him or not as he slashed into the wound on his own side, turning it into something his natural regeneration could handle more easily so that he could get away.

As he held his breath and waited for his regeneration to deal with his wounds, a much slower process than usual since he was running on fumes and focusing on absorbing reishi would leave him too open to attack, a black-clad, female figure appeared in front of him.

Just as he went to behead her reflexively, as he was excessively tense, she slammed her hand into his open wound, his inhibited speed proving to be no match for the mystery woman. Before he knew it, he was out like a light, both swords following suit as they sealed themselves, and being carried off into the shadows of what was currently night time in Seireitei. Leaving Yamamoto none the wiser.

* * *

A few hours later

* * *

Ichigo's eyes shot open and he sat up with a start. He didn't know why, but he'd woken up in a cold sweat. _'Wait... when did I...'_ Looking around suspiciously, Ichigo tried to assess the situation as best he could. He felt something around his abdomen that felt odd but familiar to him. Looking down, he saw bandages around his midsection. _'Who... I am so confused.'_ Shaking his head, he got up, having located his Zanpakuto off to the side.

Placing them back where they usually were, he stalked towards the entrance, suppressing his reiatsu while trying to sense around as best he could. It was very unnerving for him to be thrown into this situation. Someone healed him, which felt odd enough since hollows didn't heal each other often, with Neliel, another Vasto Lorde, as a rare exception, but they did it without him asking them to, which was almost unheard of to him, once more, with Neliel as an exception.

As such, he trusted nothing about his situation. Someone he he didn't know healed him without his request and put him in a comfortable futon. And he wasn't among friends the last he remembered. Really, the last thing he remembered was getting a fist shoved into an open wound in, and through, his stomach after he'd fought with the soutaicho, meaning he figured he was already fucked.

Imagine his surprise, then, when he felt Yoruichi, along with everyone else. And they were alone in some area that he couldn't sense anyone else. _'I have moved beyond the point of confused. Initiating "fuck it" mode.'_ Shrugging, he just walked to the entrance to wherever he was and opened it, revealing an somewhat barren expanse... that reminded him a lot of Urahara's basement. Once more, he shrugged, filing it all under "fuck it" and buzzed towards the others in a burst of sonido.

Appearing where he felt Yoruichi, Hanatoro, and Ganju, he just waved. "Yo." Having not felt him, both Hanataro and Ganju jumped, making Ichigo have to stifle a chuckle.

Yoruichi on the other hand, had no such reservations and openly laughed at the two. "Welcome back, Ichigo. Enjoy your nap?"

He didn't really know how to respond to that. "Well, I don't know. The only times I'm "asleep" is when something knocks me unconscious. This time it felt like a sedative, but I can't really tell. I've only had passing experiences with the stuff. Also, would you like to explain WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED AND WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!?"

This time, Yoruichi outright burst out laughing. Ganju joined her not long after, though Hanataro didn't really see what was so funny. Ichigo, on the other hand, waited patiently as they calmed down. "Better?" They nodded. "Good, good. NOW FUCKING EXPLAIN." Ganju snapped to attention at the commanding tone in his voice, and even Yoruichi twitched noticeably, straightening up a bit.

Sighing, she looked up at him before glancing back to the other two. "Keep practicing, you two. If I find that you started slacking..." She left the threat to hang in the air, making them both shiver slightly before saluting and getting back to trying to fight while using shunpo.

Stalking away from them, she instructed Ichigo to follow her, which he did out of curiosity. "Right now, we're in my hideout under Seireitei. Here, they can't sense any reiatsu we give off, though we can sense any from them if it's strong enough... like your fight with Yamamoto-soutaicho. It's likely that all of Soul Society felt that battle. But you were losing, so I brought you here."

Ichigo's firs response was, "So you ARE a girl! Had some suspicions, but... ah, whatever. Continue."

And continue she did. "Ooookay. Well, I had to knock you out, as I doubt you would've come too easily. Even if you had won, every shinigami would've flocked to you, and you would've been overwhelmed."

At this, Ichigo scoffed. "Without my seals, and with my enhancements, anything below taicho rank is a joke, and I've put all but Tousen and Gin out of commission, if they weren't already preoccupied... or presumed dead. I would've made it out alive." She glared at him. "I PROBABLY would've made it out alive." And that was the best she'd get out of him.

"Anyway, we have the three days, including today, to retrieve the girl and leave. Down here, you can do bankai training without interruption, so feel free to pursue that, if you choose." She stopped moving, which Ichigo emulated moments later. "I believe we've traveled far enough. Here, your reiatsu won't be as oppressive as it likely would be, though we'll still feel it. Do as you wish, but when everyone is done for the day, you will be stopping as well."

He waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. That's fine and all, but I have one question." She cocked her feline head. "What do you look like? I mean, really look like. You had that ninja outfit on before, so..."

What stretched across her face at that moment could only be described as a Cheshire Grin. Her body started to glow before growing. Ichigo averted his eyes momentarily, as it got rather bright. When he returned his gaze to the one-time-feline, he was rather surprised to find a rather attractive, dark-skinned woman in her place. She had purple hair that fell down to her back and a body that seemed to have been sculpted for speed and grace, yet packed more power than most body builders, and Ichigo could tell that much at just a glance.

When she noticed that he was analyzing her appearance, she decided to tease him, or at least tried to. "Ah, the roaming, lust-filled eyes of a young man." Crossing her arms under her breasts to push them up, she tried to seem embarrassed. "What should I do? He might attack me when we're all alone like this."

And like that, Ichigo's eyes went from analyzing to deadpan. "Worst actor ever."

She pouted at his response. "That's it? Even Chad blushed a little when he saw me for the first time!" Then she stopped to think before looking at him with an appraising eye, still butt-naked. "There's no way you're that controlled. I thought hollows were instinct driven."

Raising a brow, Ichigo smirked at her. "Oh, we are. Mine are suppressed at the moment, and I worked with my father in our clinic, so you don't have anything I haven't seen before, just a higher quality."

Ichigo realized his mistake when he saw the twinkle enter her eye. "Oh, so you haven't seen anyone this "high quality" before? Oh, you flatterer." She started to exaggerate her body's more, ah, key points, which made Ichigo's eyes twitch but nothing more.

When she realized she was getting no reaction, she looked at him in something of a stunned silence. "Do you have no libido or something?"

He shook his head. "Oh, I do. I just have more important things to take care of. I recommend you stop, though. My more primal instincts are suppressed right now, but they're definitely still there. I can feel them. Combine that with the fact that I died a virgin, and you have a volatile mix that you don't want to set off right now, Yoruichi. So, go." She resumed staring, making him sigh. "It's either leave or put on some clothes. Your choice."

That seemed to snap her out of it. Waving him off, she gave her choice. "Clothes are too restricting." With that, she returned to being a cat and was gone.

Ichigo sighed and manifested his Zanpakuto spirits, preparing for the onslaught from Shiro he'd been blocking out the whole conversation. **"WHAT THE FLYING FIST-OF-THE NORTH-STAR FUCK ICHIGO!?"** was the first thing he heard.

 **"YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO GET WITH THAT, YOU KNOW!? IF I WEREN'T IN YOUR MOTHER-FUCKING HEAD, I'D CALL YOU GAY, BUT I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT YOU'RE JUST A DUMB-FUCK! DID YOU..."** Ichigo stood there and took it, as he was feeling the exact same thing. Every instinct in him was screaming at him to jump her, but he resisted, knowing he had more important things to deal with... and feeling that that was immoral in some buried, still humane corner of his mind. And Shiro knew it too. He was just mad. Very, very mad.

Eventually, even Shiro managed to run out of steam. Ichigo's face was buried in his palms, as he was certain that everyone in the area had heard the rant, and that included every person who he was stuck with for the next three days. _'I am so glad no one from Hueco Mundo was here for that...'_ He looked up at the currently panting and sulking Shiro and asked. "You good now?"

He nodded sadly. **"Yeah, I'm fine... just like that ass was."** He returned to sulking, making Ichigo look to the more reliable of his two partners for a bit of assistance. It was given in the form of a smack upside the head, making the unprepared Zanpakuto spirit fall face first into the ground. **"Fine, fine. Let's just finish this so Ichigo has no more excuses to NOT chase the booty."**

Ichigo returned his face to his palms. _'Sometimes I wonder why I can't have nice things...'_ Even though he couldn't hear it, he could FEEL everyone else laughing at him at that moment.

* * *

A/N: I'll just end it on that unfortunate note for Ichigo. I feel a bit bad about writing that, but it kind of wrote itself. And I don't want to get rid of it. I could've made this easily hit M with this one scene, though I refrained. And I'm slightly hating myself for it. Seriously, writing M is really easy for me, but keeping it kid friendly, or even teen appropriate is something I tend to find difficult. The situations write themselves for me.

As for other things, well, I hope you understand that you saw full power Ichigo(until next chapter) and understood how strong he is. Yamamoto has trouble with him, and that man is a beast. If I'd left him at max power this whole time, this would've been rather boring until this one scene, you know. He'll be getting bankai soon, and I plan on adding a bit more to the bankai than you'd think. It really will be something unique in my opinion, but it'll fit with his power scheme of compressing then magnifying power, so don't worry about it coming out of no where. Leaving the rest as a surprise, though.

I'll just say a general thank you to everyone who reviewed recently. I'm glad that many of you approve of Mayuri dying, because I kinda wanted to do it after a little while of thinking. I really like Urahara, so this fits with me just fine. Anyway, I'm glad many of you approve of the Ishida/Nemu pairing, because it's one that I thought of WAY back when I first saw the soul society arc. Really, it just popped into my head when I saw the two conversing.

I think that's about it, though. If there's any review in particular that I see that needs more than a thank you and wasn't answered in the chapter, I'll be responding to those down here for now. My update schedule has become rather erratic, as school has returned, but beyond that, I have nothing else to say. Enjoy your life as best you can and do with it what you will. I'm glad you're choosing to spend your time reading this. Bye!


	7. Time To Get JACKED(without steroids tho)

A/N: So, guess who's still alive! Yeah, I didn't die, though I felt like I would from the bull shit. School's a real bitch sometimes, you know. Well, enough about me, time to entertain you!... wait, two things. If you guys want a lemon between Ichigo and a girl, the easiest being Yoruichi right now, I'd be happy to try my hand at one. Never written one before, but whatever. Also, if you'd prefer I do English titles(Captain as opposed to Taicho, etc), tell me. Never gotten any complaints until somewhat recently. Review with a yes or no on those fronts. NOW it's time to (hopefully) entertain you!

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Execution in 2 Days

* * *

Ichigo stared at Zangetsu for a long moment, and he got a cocky smirk in return. They were both laying on their fronts, for the most part, atop a large boulder. As one, they extended their hands outward, grasping each other's. Their elbows slammed into the boulder they were on with enough force to leave dents as they tightened their grip. Above them, a once more teenage Ywach(T Ywach from now) raised his hand, looking at both of them and getting a nod.

Then, as T. Ywach's hand dropped, all hell broke loose.

Zangetsu exploded into a cloak of reiatsu, mainly white with a red trimming, while Ichigo had a mainly black reiatsu with red trimming pour out of him. The force of that clash was enough to shatter the boulder they were on, leaving them to drop to the floor and continue their clash. They were evenly matched as they pushed against one another, trying their damnedest to overpower the other.

Eventually, though, Ichigo's stamina won out, having the added reiatsu absorbing abilities from Ywach's assimilation into his soul. It was a long and hard road, but, in the end, the victory in extreme arm wresling was Kurosaki Ichigo, making it a resounding 4-2 victory for Ichigo in their best of 7.

Ichigo jumped up from the small crater they'd made and flexed. "Who's the best!? C'mon, say it!"

Zangetsu just got up, dusted himself off, and flipped him off. **"Shut it, you lucky little shit. My arm cramped up."** The excuse sounded weak no matter how you put it, but Zangetsu stuck to it.

Not even bothering to tear that one apart, Ichigo just returned the bird he was so graciously gifted with. "Sure. Twice in a row. How unlucky." He jerked his head to the side to avoid the red cero that flew at him. "So, wanna go again? Or is your arm sti-" He was cut off by a puff of smoke from above them, which indicated someone coming into the secret base. When all of them were already there.

Sighing at the interruption, Ichigo blurred over there using pure speed, his sudden arrival a surprise to Yoruichi, Ganju, and Hanataro due the lack of a buzzing sound. "What's going on?" was all he asked, not really bothering to explain his stealth mode arrival.

Yoruichi, being the most level headed among them, recovered almost instantly. "We have company."

When whoever it was finally landed, Ichigo was surprised to see who it was. "Oh, it's you... guy that was beat by Ishida." Ichigo didn't know it, but the man, Abarai Renji, was someone Ishida was a bit too acquainted with.

Most of the others had a bit more of a concerned reaction. Ishida immediately summoned his bow, Chad's arm transformed, and both Ganju and Hanataro drew their swords, though they were prepared to run. Yoruichi and Inoue were both rather calm, seeing that he wasn't looking for a fight.

Renji, with Zabimaru on his shoulder in its shikai, just looked at Ichigo with a critical eye. "The name's Abarai Renji... Kurosaki Ichigo, right?"

Ichigo was a bit surprised that he knew his name. "Huh. Am I famous or something?" If only he knew.

He was about to get informed, though. "Yes."

Ichigo stumbled back at that one. "What?" was his intelligent response.

"I said yes," responded Renji. " You defeated multiple taicho alone and won without a scratch. You faced Kenpachi Zaraki, the zanjutsu specialist taicho, in a 1-v-1, zanjutsu only fight and demolished him. You took on Yamamoto-Soutaicho, the strongest shinigami alive, in a shikai versus shikai death match and not only survived but hurt him. And you don't even HAVE a bankai, from the reports. You're the monster on everyone's minds, Kurosaki-san."

Despite what was just said, Ichigo managed to blush, though it was barely noticeable. "Okay, I don't think it was THAT big of a deal. Only one of the taicho used their bankai, and Kyoraku-san and Ukitake-san didn't even fight. It was really only 3 of them."

Renji looked at him like he was insane, but Ichigo either didn't notice or didn't care as he went on. "As for Zaraki, he didn't even take me seriously until I released my Gentei Rein. Then I had to end it quickly because of time constraints. He might've been able to beat me otherwise. As it stands, he nearly bisected me. Yama-ossan..." Ichigo had to think on that one, coming up with nothing. "Okay, that one was 100% bad-ass."

Everyone there was staring at him, not having really grasped the scope of his power previously. Even Yoruichi wasn't able to openly take on more than one taicho at once. Renji's dream was to surpass Kuchiki Byakuya, one of the taicho he beat, yet the achievement was downplayed by so much.

Ishida just sighed. Shaking his head, he said, "Learn to take a compliment, Kurosaki."

Ichigo just shrugged. "I hate fame. Also, you said I don't have a bankai, Pineapple? Well, cross that off the list. Already earned mine. Yesterday, actually.

Once more, everyone just stared at him, though Yoruichi was no where near as surprised this time, only unaware that he'd done it. Then, after a moment, Renji registered what Ichigo had called him, making a vein bulge on his forehead. "Oi! Who the hell're you calling Pineapple, Strawberry!?"

A matching vein appeared on Ichigo. "Oh, what was that? I swore I heard a fucking fruit talk. But that's craaaaaazy."

"Oh?" Renji responded, glaring so hard Ichigo could've burst into flames. "You MUST be crazy. Or high. Or maybe both. 'Cause I don't know of any RED pineapples."

"There it is again." Ichigo was in front of him in an instant. "I swear it came from over here. Somehow, I can only find this RED PINEAPPLE, though. How strange. I think I need to get my ears checked, 'cause fruits don't talk, as far as I know." Both of them looked like they were about to explode, much to everyone's amusement.

In that instant, Renji headbutt Ichigo, and he fell to the ground, Renji jumping on him. A cloud of dust soon enveloped them as they wrestled on the floor, though it did nothing to stop the grunts and occasional remarks of "Fuck you!" and the like.

It cleared up at one point to show Renji holding Ichigo in a head lock, only to have Ichigo, after struggling, shove his head back to hit Renji in the face. They fell to the ground once more, the fight being resumed and the dust cloud being renewed.

Then, with the next lull in the dust, Ichigo with a black sword in his hands, standing on Renji's chest. He stabbed each side of Renji's head over and over, only missing because the terrified Renji kept dodging. Renji's foot came up and hit Ichigo in his family jewels, making him squeak and fall forward. Then, as Renji regained his wits, he pounced on the hollow that tormented him moments before.

After another round in the dust, their previous positions switched, with Renji sawing his spiked shikai across Ichigo's neck, only to have it create nothing more than sparks due to Ichigo's hierro. Ichigo sat there, laughing at him as he flipped Renji the bird. "The fuck are you gonna cut with that!?" Then, after enraging Renji further, he did a sit up, throwing him off and resuming the match on the floor.

In another calm(er) moment, Ichigo was standing above Renji, holding both of the man's legs open. With his face holding the most malicious look known to man, quincy, shinigami or hollow, Ichigo's foot loomed ominously above a man's greatest weak-spot, taunting the, once more, terrified Renji. Renji was holding Ichigo's foot above his groin with the flat of his blade, but Ichigo's foot was slowly inching closer and closer, making his terrified face get mixed with panic.

Despite how much she loved the sight, Yoruichi figured it was time to end it. In her cat form, she jumped at Ichigo's head, but changed back to human mid jump. Her foot was outstretched, hitting him square in the side of the head and sending him flying into a nearby boulder. When he impacted, Ichigo was buried a foot or two INTO the boulder, making Zangetsu, who was watching from afar, burst into laughter, which he'd been holding in the whole time.

"Enough of that, you two," was her insincere comment as she returned to her cat form.

Pulling himself from whole he'd created on impact, Ichigo walked back to the gathering, though, for some reason, it looked like he was stalking towards them with a purpose. It was only then that everyone, including the recovered Renji, noticed that his hakama pants were... flaming. But they weren't ON fire. It was more like they WERE fire.

With the backed up view, and the lack of fighting, it was easy to then notice everything else, too. His arms had chain tattoos going down them, ending on his palm. Unseen to them, there was a manji(the swastika that is his bankai's hilt) in the center of his palm, surrounded by a circular ouroboros(a serpent eating its own tail). He had a matching ouroboros on his back, but no one could see it at that moment, and they were focused on the fight earlier, so they missed it.

Arriving within a few moments, which didn't really give them much time to ponder the new marks, Ichigo, after sending a quick glare to Yoruichi, glanced at Renji. "What was it you came here for, Abarai?"

Renji, surprised that he wasn't called a fruit once more, took a moment to gather his wits. "Oh, uh, I just..." His face taking on a far more serious look, Renji took a deep breath and began to walk away. "Time's almost up before Rukia's execution, and as I am, I can't do much." He held out his sword to the side, his Zanpakuto spirit materializing from his released shikai.

To Ichigo, Yoruichi, and Hanataro, who knew how Zanpakuto worked, it was a rather big surprise when not one but two separate beings materialized. One was a decently tall, curvaceous, and buxom woman with green fur covering most of her body, though both her head and an area of skin going down from her collar to her stomach was open. Her red hair was more of a mane, with two black markings on each side of it. Around her waist she had a chain attached that connected her to the other spirit.

Next to her, on the other end of the chain, was a younger looking, androgynous, but more feminine, spirit dressed in mostly white. Their stomach was out in the opening with a yellow-trimmed white top that had excessively long sleeves, while their shorts were puffy on the bottom, though the bottom was only at knee level. Around his/her neck was a yellow collar, which the chain attached to. His/her hair was far tamer than their counterparts, being smooth, and he/she had two white ear protectors for some reason. The most interesting feature, however, was the extremely long, and apparently dexterous, tail that he/she balanced on.(A/N: Google Zabimaru human form for a image if you want.)

Turning his head to give his audience a look, Renji continued. "I need to achieve bankai to fight on that level, so I'll be borrowing this place. I'm almost there already, just need another push. I won't get in any of your way."

Ichigo shook his head, about to comment when Zangetsu appeared in a blur of speed, leaning on Ichigo's shoulder, T. Ywach fading in behind them with his hoodie on. Zangetsu looked them up and down before grinning wildly. **"Never seen another Zanpakuto spirit before. Apparently we all look as good as me, or at least you do."** He winked at the furry half of Zabimaru, making Ichigo face-palm and Ywach follow suit.

Said Zanpakuto just grinned back, though. Unfortunately, the positive moment was ruined by the boy(?) in white, who, if the devious smirk on his face was anything to go by, knew exactly what he was doing as he said, "Sorry, but I'm not interested. Thanks, though."

His/her counterpart glared, bringing her fist down on his/her head. "He was TALKING to me, baka-Hebi!"

Hebi glared back, though he(?) was tearing up slightly. "Well how do you know that, Saru-teme!?"

Butting in with a smirk, Zangetsu did what he hoped would stoke the flame. **"I WAS talking to your curvaceous comrade, Hebi, but you don't look too bad either..."** He winked at Hebi before pausing, a thought coming to mind. **"For the record, though - you aren't a dude right?"**

A vein appeared on Hebi's head as Saru burst out laughing. "Of course I am, dumbass! We don't ALL have giant udders on our chest like Saru-teme, you know!"

Instead of getting mad at the insult, Saru just leaned down slightly to reach Saru's level, making the "girls" bounce intentionally. "No need to be jealous."

Zangetsu just strolled over to them, his flaming, white hakama pants catching everyone's eye. **"Now, now..."** he appeared behind the two arguing spirits with pure speed, shocking them stiff. **"You can BOTH be the best. But you gotta prove it first~."** Both of them blushed ever so slightly at that, though Saru didn't look all that opposed to it. Hebi did seem quite a bit annoyed, though.

Ichigo had had just about enough, though. He sighed, bringing attention to himself, before looking to Ywach. "Would you mind...?"

Ywach nodded almost happily. "Gladly." With that, he disappeared for a moment, reappearing with Zangetsu tied up in black chains that sprouted from one of his sleeves. Hebi was more than slightly relieved, looking up at Tensa Zangetsu with visible thanks.

Ignoring the struggling and cursing Zangetsu, Ichigo turned to Renji, a small grimace on his face. "Sorry about him."

Zangetsu shouted, as a response, **"Oh fuck you! You DO know who I'm modeled after, right!? YOU totally would right now! If you had the balls, that i- Ack!"** Ywach tightened the chains suddenly, making his fellow occupant of Ichigo's soul choke as the air was forced from his lungs. After a moment of silence, Ywach just nodded at the slightly blushing Ichigo, telling him to continue.

Managing to ignore Zangetsu again, though a small blush remained on his face, Ichigo continued. "Seriously, though, you shouldn't just rush in once you attain bankai. Take the full time to practice a much as possible. I slammed into, and through, a boulder the first time I used my bankai's speed, and I only wanted to move forward a few feet. If you don't know how to control its power properly, it'd be better if you didn't use it. You could get yourself, or others, killed."

Renji, after he was done burning holes into his Zanpakuto spirits' skulls with his eye, responded. "We'll see. If I have time, I'l practice. If not... I'll improvise." Walking away, he could only think to himself, _'THAT'S what everyone is so scared of!? He's a clown! I barely sensed more reiatsu from him than the Kuchiki-taicho, let alone enough to match Yamamoto-soutaicho...'_

Ichigo looked over to everyone else with a raised brow. "So, how's it going on your end, guys? I already reached bankai. How about you?"

Being so suddenly addressed threw them off for a moment, so Yoruichi answered for them. "Things are going quite well, Ichigo. Chad is gaining proficiency in your "sonido" rather quickly, and Ishida-san is trying hard to stay ahead in speed, even if he doesn't admit it." At that, Ishida "Hmph"ed and looked away. "He's also attempting to attain taicho level power without releasing that glove of his, and is coming along nicely. Inoue has come rather far as well, creating some new ways to use her powers, and Hanataro and Ganju can now match the speed of one of the slower taicho."

Now that was a surprise to Ichigo. Giving the group another once over, he nodded, thinking, _'Maybe I won't have to babysit this time...'_ His thoughts her interrupted by Zangetsu, who cleared his throat rather loudly. Ichigo just rolled his eyes and waved a hand at T. Ywach, giving the signal to release the pissed Zanpakuto spirit.

"Well," Ichigo began, "that's good. We have a few days, so keep it up. I have to go back to training, though, 'cause I'm definitely gonna have a few taicho swarm me at once. And more than just my bankai will be released." The double meaning of that was lost on everyone else, but his eyes met with Ywach and Zangetsu for the briefest of moments, a silent message passing between them.

Just as he went to walk away, his companions following him, Ishida cut in. "Actually, Kurosaki... would you be able to show me your bankai? I wish to know what we're up against."

Ichigo had to think on that for a moment. "Uh, mine is a bit out of the ordinary, from what I can tell."

His misgivings were waved off by Ishida, curious as he was. "I just want to feel the power, Kurosaki."

Sighing, Ichigo relented. "Alright." Taking a deep breath, the return of his pants to a normal form was the only indication something had changed. Then, opening his eyes suddenly, he brought one hand up to his face, his shikai appearing withing it's grasp. Swinging it out to the side, Ichigo decided to put on a show. His power flared up around him, giving him a blue glow for a moment. The rocks around his feet started to break apart, and, after a few moments, he was standing in a small crater, one about as wide as he was tall, though it was barely a foot deep.

"BAN..." Bringing his arm around, he pointed his sword towards Ishida, the bandages around his arm coming loose before spinning around and covering his arm. Then, as everything seemed to explode around him, he finished the command, placing his other hand on his outstretched arm's bicep. "KAI!"

The others were left covering their eyes as smoke swirled around him in what could only be described as a god damn tornado. Then, from within the eye of his own little storm, Ichigo flared his reiatsu, blowing away all the dust and debris. Standing in the center of it, Ichigo showed his bankai fully for the first time, dust swirling around him despite the dispersion of the previous tempest.

He had on a black coat that was completely open in the middle, showing his chest, abdomen, and tattoos. Along it's edges, it had a dark red fur lining, going all the way up and over the hood that he now possessed. Like his pants were earlier, and are now, his coat seemed to be made of a similar, black flame, though the ripple was the only real way to tell. Unseen to them, there was an ouroboros on the back of the jacket in white, standing out clearly on the flowing surface of the black coat. Then he flicked his wrist, making a sword shoot out from the depths of each sleeves, which were a good bit wider than they needed to be and partially covered his hands.

His swords were a bit different now, too. Instead of the single, obsidian black sword he possessed as a Vasto Lorde, he now had a sword with a serrated edge down the blade's back end, the part that was supposed to be flat. Toward the manji that was his hilt, though, there were 3 rectangular holes going halfway up the blade. It would've been just a bar, but there were separations in it. As usual, the chain at the end seemed to wrap around his hand as it disappeared in the depths of his sleeves.

When he spoke, Ichigo's voice rang out in the silence, gaining a slightly doubled tinge to it before he regained control. " **Ten** sa Zangetsu." He stood there, letting it all sink in for them as he took a moment to control his own power.

The first response he got, though, was the most unexpected one, though it made sense that it came from Yoruichi. "It's so tiny."

Blushing, Ichigo prepared to defend his pride. "Oi!" he shouted indignantly, holding the still visible sword in the air. "My bankai is not "tiny"! It compresses the explosive power of a bankai into a smaller form to enable high speed combat and far stronger, far more concentrated attacks!" Slightly ticked, Ichigo took a moment to calm himself, throwing his coat off for comfort and making it disperse into black trimmed red reiatsu that flowed to him. Inadvertently, he revealed the tattoos on his arm once more, showing that he'd been in bankai from the moment they'd seen him.

Yoruichi decided to play devil's advocate here and stoke the flame while getting some of her own fun in too.. "Hmm. So it's tiny for a bankai, but you're saying that's a good thing. Well..." Just as Ichigo's eye started twitching, she shunpo-ed behind him, turning back into a human and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I guess you're a shower, not a grower. Not that you're showing anything bad."

The instant Ichigo felt her generous... assets on his back, he felt certain instinctual urges stronger than when she'd teased him earlier, though it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. No, all he showed was a twitch of his hands. "Yoruichi," he warned, "I'm pretty sure we discussed this. Clothes, personal space, or gtfo. Three choices."

She reluctantly relented. "That was boring... but nice tattoo."

Ichigo nodded. "I'm not sure if they should be called tattoos since they just appear, but thanks. Now, this good enough Ishida? It's not full power or anything, but I doubt you'll be facing the Soutaicho, so you don't need to see that." Ishida scrutinized him for a little while, trying to discern the current gap between him an Ichigo. Then, after a good few seconds, he nodded, turning and blurring away with Hirenkyaku.

Slowly, once the awe and/or curiosity of seeing a bankai for the first time wore off, everyone trickled away, going back to their training as well, though they were glad for the distraction. Everyone but the still butt-naked Yoruichi and Ichigo.

Glancing at her, Ichigo's face took on a serious expression. "I have but one question for you, Yoruichi." His face became near comical as he asked/demanded, "Why you no wear clothes!?"

She only shrugged, though. "Why don't you wear a shirt?"

"Well," Ichigo responded after thinking for a moment, "it's not comfortable, as I was a hollow WITHOUT a shirt for two years straight. It feels weird now."

Yoruichi nodded. "Exactly. You know how long I stay as a cat at a time? It's been a LONG time since I bothered to return to this form again. Clothes feel so... restricting now."

That was a feeling that Ichigo understood completely. "Okay, but must you flaunt yourself? I mean... really?" Zangetsu mentally shouted at him to stop complaining, but Ichigo ignored him.

Yoruichi smirked mischievously. "No... but I will. You young ones are so fun to tease, and 5 of the six of you are susceptible to my charms... unless one of you is swinging for the other team?" Ichigo just stared at her, the deadpan look on his face speaking for him. Yoruichi nodded. "Figured as much."

Sighing, Ichigo gave up. "Fine, whatever. But..." Ichigo had to take a moment to make sure he knew what he was getting into. "Could you, uh, do me a favor?"

Yoruichi smirked. "Oh, so NOW you grow a pair? Well, better late than never, Ichigo." With a burst of shunpo, she appeared in front of him, prepared to deal the dreaded finisher. The glomp.

Being prepared for her, Ichigo blurred to the side the moment she moved, dodging. "No, I don't mean that." He winced at a particularly loud shout from Zangetsu in his head. _'Fucking hell, man. I'll see what I can do with an at least semi-clear conscience later, but I got shit to take care of right now.'_

Unaware of his internal struggle, Yoruichi raised her brow. "Oh? And here I thought you were taking your Zanpakuto's advice." Ichigo actually had to put his hand to his head in pain as Zangetsu LOUDLY agreed with her. "You okay, Ichigo?"

He waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. Zangetsu is just being a cunt."

Yoruichi was surprised by that. "Huh. Haven't heard you say that one yet." Then, instead of pursuing it, shrugged. "Well, whatever. What is it you wanted?"

Ichigo nodded. "Oh yeah. I need you to..."

* * *

Execution in 1 Day

* * *

Moments before, Ichigo and Renji had had another argument, but, instead of wrestling on the ground like children, Ichigo had suggested a spar. One that everyone was interested in seeing. And one that he intended to kick Renji's ass in.

It was a good thing that Renji had achieved bankai as well, or the battle would've been extremely one-sided.

Ichigo had already done a dramatic release of his own bankai for Renji to be amazed and/or cowed at, and it was pretty awe inspiring to see him emerge from the dust column, but Renji had no intention of letting Ichigo know that. No, he just chose to respond in kind.

Pulling his shikai up to his face hilt first, Renji began to radiate a deep, red reiatsu. The ground immediately around him began to shake in recognition of the power he was building up, seeking to release. "BANKAI!" A small twister erupted around him for a while, whipping the dust of the training ground into a small tornado. It only lasted for a few seconds, but that was enough to cover their spectators in a decent layer of dust. Yes, everyone was there to watch the spar. Seeing a bankai being released and seeing one fight were two different things, and they wanted to be prepared for what was to come.

When the twister dissipated, Renji was still surrounded, though it was no longer by a column of wind and dust. No, coiled around him was an enormous bone snake, its body made of vertebrae. At the connection to the head, there was red fur, creating a mane of sorts, similar to that of a lion.

The head itself, though, was menacing. Standing about as tall as Renji was, it was even longer than that, its many bone teeth looking sharper than the sword it came from, matching nicely with the glowing golden eyes in the two eye sockets. No, eyes weren't the correct terms. Laser sights were more accurate. They were glowing lights in the darkness of their respective eye sockets, focusing onto their target with laser-like focus.

Renji just smirked at the awed looks he received, pride in his partner and himself evident in how he stood, and how he spoke. "Hihio Zabimaru(Baboon King Snake Tail). Try not to die, Kurosaki."

Ichigo wasn't all too impressed by it, though. _'Good defense, but what happens if... WHEN I get passed that, Abarai? Your new cloak won't save you...'_ And Ichigo would make sure Renji got at least a few lacerations, red fur cloak or not.

Ichigo, feeling it to be the right thing, allowed his own cloak to return, covering his body in a comforting but alien way to him. Flicking one wrist, he brought out one of his swords. Now that he held it, prepared to fight, the true murderous nature of the blade could be felt by everyone, making all of them shiver at least a bit, even though Renji was the only one facing him. The serrated back of the blade glinted dangerously as Ichigo raised the blade, covering his chest diagonally.

His grip tightening in response to Ichigo's movements, Renji stopped shaking easily, smirking instead. "What is that puny thing? You call THAT a bankai!?"

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched as he took a deep breath, stopping himself from murdering Renji in an instant. "Don't go there, Renji. My power is compressed to the point that releasing just a little would match your highest kido, with the incantation. Also, it lets me do this..."

With that, Ichigo began to blur around Renji, appearing to be in multiple places at once. When he spoke, his voice came from just about everywhere. "Hard to fight what you can't touch, ain't it?"

Renji's eyes widened at the sheer speed he was seeing, and how casually it was being thrown about. Then, narrowing his eyes, he tightened his grip on Zabimaru, causing the snake like sword to slither around him, ready to move at a moment's notice. "I don't need to fight you. You have to come to me, you know."

One could feel the smirk on Ichigo's face the instant Renji said that. "Oh, really now." Still speeding around, Ichigo pointed his hand towards Renji, extending only two fingers. It looked like there were 20 of him doing it at once, though. A rather intimidating sight, actually.

Then, in a turn that shocked Renji, Ganju, and Hanataro, all of which thought he lacked the ability to do this, Ichigo shouted, "HADO#4 Byakurai(White Lightning)!" But, before anything happened, Ichigo disappeared from view. Then, milliseconds after, a small bolt of lightning slammed into Renji's shoulder, piercing it.

 _'Shit!'_ was all Renji could think as he sent Zabimaru upwards, using the angle of the Kido to determine Ichigo's general position before he even looked.

It was nothing but a feint, though. Once Zabimaru completely left its master to chase after where he was, Ichigo blurred away from the giant snake and in front of Renji, kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying backwards.

Ichigo let him get up, though, not wanting to end it too soon. Instead, he taunted the redhead. "Still got somethin' to say about my bankai!?"

Renji, as he pulled himself up, discreetly called Zabimaru down on Ichigo's head. "No," he responded, rubbing his stomach with one hand. "But I think you'll have a few choice words about mine when we're done." At that moment, the snake slammed into Ichigo, causing a small dust cloud, a bestial scream from the Zanpakuto accompanying the blow.

Having recovered, Renji just stared into the cloud, prepared for whatever he saw. He was slightly disappointed when Ichigo was there, blocking the snake head with his sword, holding the blade up with both hands. Renji didn't taunt him, though, having felt just what a single kick from Ichigo could cause. Instead, he stared at the strawberry-blonde before raising one hand to the immobilized Ichigo, his palm facing forward. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado#31: Shakkahō!"

From that, Renji built up then fired off a huge red ball at Ichigo, who saw it coming and narrowed his eyes. _'Son of a bitch!'_ was his only thought as he enacted countermeasures. Ones he could've used a while back, actually. Charging some reiatsu into his blade, he called out, "Getsuga Tenshou!" as he released a black wave of reiatsu from his blade, batting away Zabimaru and obliterating the Kido sent towards him.

When the move died down, though, Ichigo was gone. Having learned from his mistakes, Renji just pulled Zabimaru towards his person, prepared to defend against whatever Ichigo had planed... or at least he thought he was.

See, Ichigo had perfected the art of hunting a long while back. It was essential for survival in Hueco Mundo, at least when you weren't most likely to be the strongest thing in any given area that lacked a Vasto Lorde. It wouldn't have worked too long on, say, Yoruichi, but it was more than enough to hide himself from Renji long enough to prepare his move.

So, as he hid behind a boulder, Ichigo could only smirk at Renji's caution, knowing it was warranted but futile. He knew exactly where Renji was, being a stationary target, while Renji had no clue what was coming. Placing a hand on the ground, he focused, a chain shooting out of his sleeve and into the ground as a result.

It burrowed under the rock separating the two combatants, following Ichigo's direction as it went. Eventually, it reached Renji's location and Ichigo could feel it. Smirk falling from his face, he focused and, flicking his sword back into his sleeve, shot a Byakurai through the boulder, aiming at Renji. Keeping up the diversion, he fired multiple Byakurai the now on guard and defending Renji.

Now knowing where Ichigo was, Renji sent Zabimaru slithering towards him menacingly, the pattern of its path enough to block all of Ichigo's shots completely. This time, though, he left some of the tail surrounding him, retaining some sort of defense, and made sure he was aware of Ichigo's position instead. Renji had found out just how fatal an error it would be to give Ichigo an opening only moments before, and he didn't intend on letting a repeat performance go down.

Sadly, he wouldn't really be getting a say in the matter.

Before his bankai could actually reach Ichigo, a chain shot out of the ground, wrapping his body in a vice like grip. At the tip was a sharp point that wasn't too far from his face, so he couldn't struggle too hard, even if he had the ability to. Then the chain came out of the ground, splitting it as it drew taut between Renji and Ichigo, even splitting the rock that separated them and gave Renji a glimpse of Ichigo as he called, "Tensa: Yokusei(Heavenly Chain: Suppression)."

In a desperate move, Renji tried to make Zabimaru rush the now smirking Ichigo's "hiding" spot, but, as it smashed the remnants of the boulder in an attempt to smash the warrior behind it, the bankai was wrapped in chains from the mouth all the way down to the second vertebrae.

Victorious, Ichigo wrenched the bankai upwards as he leaped towards the ceiling before throwing the head towards Renji, making the enormous snake body follow, as was natural. As it impacted the ground, it fell apart, many pieces littering the ground.

Retracting the now useless chain, Ichigo grabbed the one holding Renji with both hands and began to spin, dragging Renji with him. The two went faster and faster until they were nothing but blurs to their audience. And still faster they went.

For a full thirty seconds, Ichigo built up speed, amounting in a crazy amount of force being exerted on Renji. Then, with the command, "Tensa: Kai(Heavenly Chain: Release)!" he allowed the chains to release Renji.

The sheer speed was enough to tear a normal human apart, and this was still enough to turn Renji into a living meteor. He streaked towards the ground in less than a second, slamming into it with thunderous force and leaving a crater.

In the resulting silence, Ichigo, as he stared down into the dust cloud obscuring the crater, spoke aloud, "Ten Kara Tsuihō(Expulsion from the heavens)."

With a deliberately slow fall, Ichigo floated down towards the dust cloud, scrutinizing it. "Oi, Abarai!" he shouted out, trying to draw out Renji. When he got no response, he rose a brow, but flicked his wrist to recall his sword as a precaution. "You alive in there?"

He got his response in the form of Renji shouting, "Higa Zekkō(Bite of a Broken Baboon's Fang)!" Suddenly, pieces of Zabimaru rose from the dust around Ichigo, circling him for but a moment before shooting inwards at him.

Thinking quickly, Ichigo batted them all away, swinging his sword so fast that it looked like it was in multiple places at once. Each and every one of the vertebrae were deflected after what was mere seconds, but those few seconds could've ended the battle.

Ichigo jumped back as the deflected shards moved again, but this time they went back to Renji, re-configuring themselves into the massive snake form they originally held. Renji didn't want to give Ichigo a chance to regain his bearings, though, as he'd seen what would happen. No, he went on the offensive, knowing there was no defense he had that could block Ichigo.

The snake shot towards Ichigo, its pieces coming apart to show the red, flame-like reiatsu bonds that held them together. Then Renji pulled together every scrap of reiatsu he had left, charging this move with it. His bankai opened its mouth with a scream, Renji following suit with his own roar of exertion as he called "HIKOTSU TAIHO(Baboon Bone Cannon)!" Within the maw of the massive bankai, a red ball of concentrated reiatsu came into being, existing for only a moment before firing off at Ichigo, whose eyes were wide at the sudden burst of power.

Mind you, it wasn't anything life-threatening by his standards, but it was still unprecedented.

Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo commanded the chain that still hung from one of his wrists to envelop him, creating a ball of chains that protected him from the blast. Just before the impact, Ichigo said something that almost broke Renji's spirit. "Kago(Divine Protection)."

The beam of concentrated reiatsu split around the ball of black chains, making trenches in the ground that went on far into the distance. Even then Renji didn't give up, pumping as much reiatsu as his body would allow into the attack. _'Come on!'_ he screamed at himself, hating how weak he seemed compared to Ichigo. _'Zabimaru and I have worked for decades to reach this point! I should be... no, I AM stronger than this!'_ With a roar, he used the dregs of his power to kick it up a notch, outright enveloping Ichigo's defense in a sea of his reiatsu.

Within the ball, though, Ichigo wasn't idly waiting out the attack. No, he'd figured Renji wasn't the type to give up, and the moment he heard Renji shout, he focused on his chains, doing something he'd never thought of doing. He activated his Getsuga Tenshou, but let it travel down the chain, enveloping him in an extra layer of protection. With his ungodly amount of reiatsu, and the potency of it, no one but Yamamoto had any chance of breaking through that defense.

Feeling safe, he kept up the steady stream of reiatsu, fully prepared to ramp it up if Renji proved to be even stronger than Ichigo's highest estimate. Then he began to concentrate reiatsu into his other hand's finger tips, the one holding the sword.

A red light appeared inside the ball of chains as Ichigo charged up a cero, but there was something off about it. Normally, a cero had a power limit determined by the user's level. This one just kept absorbing his power, growing denser, stronger. Then Ichigo realized why. "My cero is back," he whispered excitedly. This whole time, he'd had to deal with the power cap. He'd never hit it, but he could always feel how close his cero was to hitting the limit. NOW he was using the same cero he had against Starrk, the one that would get as strong as he wanted, as long as he had enough reiatsu.

With a grin, he shook his head. "Check mate, Abarai." Then, he felt Renji kick it up a notch. As a precaution, he fed more reiatsu to his chains, but then the amount of power he was putting out started to get to him. When the reason hit him, he couldn't help but scowl slightly. "I can't absorb anywhere near as much reishi in this thing. Well, that may prove to be... problematic in the future." Keeping that in mind, he hoped Renji ran out of steam soon, as he was draining his own power supply noticeably for the first time since the "spar" began.

His wish came true when Renji collapsed, falling to his knees and staring at the ball, which was now covered in Ichigo's black, flame-like reiatsu, in shock and no small amount of anger. And, when it opened to show a slightly sweating Ichigo, Renji bitterly lamented to himself. _'It took everything I had to make him sweat a little... I'm out of my league with him.'_ What he didn't know was that Ichigo had gained a new level of respect for him.

The technical king of Hueco Mundo actually broke a sweat fighting him! That's not something many can boast.

Still, though, Ichigo buzzed over to him with a quick burst of sonido, appearing with the dense ball of reiatsu pointed directly at his head. "My win... Renji. Unless you have some last ditch move you wanna use."

Laughing bitterly, Renji fell onto his back, not even glancing at the power filled attack pointed at him. "I'm no match for you anyway. It took everything in my arsenal to make you sweat a bit. And I barely have the strength to talk, let alone fight again." Ichigo nodded at that, noticing that his speech came slow and labored. "Your... win." With that, Renji passed out, his bankai returning to sword form on his chest.

Lowering his fingers and releasing the cero he never even had to use, flicked his wrist, sending his sword into the depths of his sleeve, and retracted the chain. "Not bad, Renji. Wonder what you'll be like when you master that..." Still slightly tired, he dispersed his coat into reishi, which he immediately absorbed for power, which was enough to satiate him for the most part.

Pondering the thought, Ichigo strolled over to their awestruck audience, Renji and his Zanpakuto slung over his shoulder and in his hand respectively. "'Sup," was his only greeting, which was a bit... underwhelming after his performance. "Enjoy the show?"

There was a moment of silence before Yoruichi turned into a human, marched over angrily, and slammed a fist down on his head. "DON'T "ENJOY THE SHOW?" ME, BAKAYARO! THERE ARE TWO, HUGE-ASS TRENCHES AND A FUCKING CRATER IN MY TRAINING GROUND!"

Regaining his bearings, Ichigo leveled an equally annoyed glare at her. "WELL I WASN'T THE ONE WHO SAID WE COULD TRAIN HERE! AND HOW MANY BANKAI SPARS ARE NEAT AND TIDY, HUH!? BESIDES, IF I HADN'T BLOCKED IT, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN TWO TINY TRENCHES AND A DEPRESSION MARRING YOUR PRECIOUS TRAINING AREA!"

Despite that carrying quite a bit of logic, Yoruichi wasn't one to give up. "THERE WAS STILL NO NEED TO FIGHT THAT HARD TO BEGIN WITH!"

And Ichigo's response was one that shocked everyone, even the more than a little irate Yoruichi. "I DIDN'T FIGHT HARD!"

The silence that followed that was the most awkward one yet, as each and everyone conscious person stared at him with a mixture of awe, fear, and general "WTF!?". Yoruichi voiced the question on all their minds as Ichigo recomposed himself. "U-uh... H-how much s-stronger can you g-get?" Her voice was shaky as she imagined the answer.

Ichigo had to think about that for a moment. "Well," he began, looking away as he thought, "I have... three other levels beyond this that I'll probably use against Yamamoto."

Yoruichi, along with most eveyone else, were slighty relieved at that. Yoruichi asked a question, though, that ruined that relief. "That mask, those red markings, and something else, right?"

Shaking his head, Ichigo clarified things to her, and the group. "Nah, those are just power ups I can activate at any time. If I factor those in..." He stopped to do some quick math, in which time his audience almost passed out. "I have at least 11 other levels of power I can attain, though that's be complicated to go to each level progressively, as that'd need activating and deactivating different powers and such. A bit awkward mid battle, so I'ma just keep it simple and go with 3." And then Ganju and Hanataro passed out, joining Renji in unconsciousness.

Oblivious as usual, Ichigo just blinked, confused at the responses he was getting. "What?"

* * *

A/N: I'll stop right there! This A/N will be brief, but informative. First, I'll address the chapter. Ichigo hasn't even come CLOSE to mastering his bankai, and hasn't really messed around with Quincy powers too much, so don't think that this is the limit to his power. Also, i'm taking his bankai's theme of compression and using to create new powers, along with letting Ichigo use powers I'm sure he could've used if he was smart enough in the canon series. Once more, though, he hasn't mastered it. He's just feeling it out right now, deciding what works better and what works worse. He could've activated Blut Vene, stood in Renji's attack, and come out unscathed if he tried, but this was him pushing the limits of his chains... and naming them on the fly. When he DOES master bankai... well, you'll know when that happens.

Spoiler: it won't be for a LONG while.

Also, I hope you noticed Ichigo's use of an actual Hado. That's what Yoruichi helped him with, if you couldn't tell. He's not gonna be pulling out any "Hado#90: Kurohitsugi"'s any time soon, but he does have a few in his arsenal, which is better than none by far. I do want him to pull of a Kurohitsugi against Aizen at least once, though. Poetic justice, you know?

Anyway, things will be explained more, and better, later on in the story. All will be clear when you read it, but, until then, enjoy life! I'll try not to die for such a long period again. Bye!


End file.
